GIFT  OF 
A.    F.   Morrison 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE  IN 
EUROPE  IN    ONE   SUMMER 


Ihe  Horseman.     Diirer.    Nuremberg. 


Frontispiece 


WHAT  PICTURES 
TO  SEE  IN  EUROPE 
IN  ONE  SUMMER 


BY 
LORINDA  MUNSON  BRYANT 

Author  of  "Pictures  and  Their  Painters" 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN  LANE  COMPANY 
MCMX 


&'/ 


COPYRIGHT,  1910,  BV 
JOHN  LANE  COMPANY 


GIFT  OF 


PUBLISHERS    PRINTING    COMPANY.    NEW    YORK 


TO   MY  SON 


ivi32356 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.  Mistakes  of  Sightseers  in  Europe  and 

How  to  Avoid  Them              .         .  3 

II.  Vatican — Sistine  Chapel           .         .  8 

III.  Vatican — Tapestries,  Stanze,  Loggia, 

and  Picture  Gallery    .         .         .  16 

IV.  Rome — Churches  and  Palaces            *  23 
V.  Florence — Uffizi      /       .t        .         .  29 

VI.  Florence— Pitti        .         ...  39 

VII.  Florence — Academy         ...  48 

VIII.  Florence — Palaces  and  Churches        .  53 

IX.  Venice — Academy            .         .         .  60 

X.  Venice — Palaces  and  Churches  67 

XI.  Milan — Academy  and  Churches        .  73 

XII.  Munich — Pinakothek       .         .         .  79 

XIII.  Dresden— Picture  Gallery         .         .  85 

XIV.  Dresden — Picture      Gallery,       con- 
tinued     .         .         .         .         .  94 
[vii] 


CONTENTS 


[viii] 


PAGE 


XV.  Berlin— Picture  Gallery  .  .     100 

XVI.  Amsterdam — Ryks  Museum  .  .109 

XVII.  The  Hague  and  Antwerp  .  .     115 

XVIII.  Paris— Louvre  Gallery  v  .     121 

XIX.  Paris — Louvre,  continued  .  .129 

XX.  Paris — Louvre,  continued  .  .     138 

XXI.  Paris — Luxembourg      .  .  .     146 

XXII.  London— National  Gallery  .  .     153 

XXIII.  London — National    Gallery,    con- 

tinued     .....     160 

XXIV.  London— National  Portrait,  Tait, 

and  Grosvenor  Galleries  .     168 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Horseman.   Diirer.   Nuremburg.      Frontispiece 

FIG.  PAGE. 

i. — Creation  of  Adam.    Michael  Angelo.     Sistine 

Chapel,  Vatican,  Rome        .        .        .        .8 

2. — Cumaean     Sibyl.      Michael     Angelo.      Sistine 

Chapel,    Vatican,    Rome        .        *        .        .9 

3. — Jeremiah.      Michael  Angelo.      Sistine  Chapel, 

Vatican,  Rome        .        .        .        .        .        .12 

4. — Detail  from  Last  Judgment.     Michael  Angelo. 

Sistine  Chapel,  Vatican,  Rome        .        .        .12 

5. — Last    Judgment.      Michael    Angelo.       Sistine 

Chapel,    Vatican,    Rome        .        .        .        -13 

6. — Sistine  Chapel.    Vatican,  Rome        .        .        .14 

7. — St.  Peter  Receiving  Keys.     Perugino.     Sistine 

Chapel,    Vatican,    Rome        .        .        .        .15 

8. — Feed  My  Sheep.  Raphael.    Vatican,  Rome        .    18 

9. — Madonna  and  Child.     Pintoricchio.     Vatican, 

Rome 18 

10. — Mount  Parnassus.    Raphael.    Vatican,  Rome    .     19 
ii. — Transfiguration.    Raphael.     Vatican.    Rome    .     20 

12. — Last  Communion  of  St.  Jerome.    Domenichino. 

Vatican,  Rome        .        .        .        .        ,        .21 

13. — Playing  Angel.     Melozzo  da  Forli.     Sacristy  of 

St.  Peter's        .  *        .        .     24 

[ix] 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG.  PAGE 

14. — Aurora.    Guido  Reni.   Rospigliosi  Palace,  Rome    25 

15. — Descent  from  the  Cross.    Volterra.     Church  of 

Trinita  de'  Monti,  Rome        .        .        .        .26 

1 6. — Sibyls.    Raphael.    Church  of  Santa  Maria  della 

Pace,  Rome -27 

17.— The   Visitation.     Albertinelli.      Uffizi   Gallery, 

Florence 30 

18. — Madonna  of  the  Harpies.     Andrea  del  Sarto. 

Uffizi    Gallery,    Florence        .        .        .        .31 

19. — St.    Sebastian.       II   Sodoma.      Uffizi    Gallery, 

Florence 34 

20. — Coronation  of  the  Virgin.      Botticelli.      Uffizi 

Gallery,       Florence 35 

21. — Pope   Julius   II.      Raphael.       Uffizi    Gallery, 

Florence          . 36 

22. — Knight  of  Malta.     Giorgione.     Uffizi  Gallery, 

Florence 37 

23. — Magdalene.  Titian.  Pitti  Gallery,  Florence        .    40 

24.— Madonna  of   Grand  Duke.      Raphael.      Pitti 

Gallery,  Florence  41 

25. — The  Muses.    Romano.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence    42 

26.— The  Fates.      Michael  Angelo.      Pitti   Gallery, 

Florence 43 

27. — The  Concert.   Giorgione.   Pitti  Gallery,  Florence    43 

28. — Three  Ages  of  Man.      Lorenzo  Lotto.      Pitti 

Gallery,  Florence 46 

29. — Holy  Family.    Andrea  del  Sarto.    Pitti  Gallery, 

Florence 47 

30. — Spring.  Botticelli.  Academy,  Florence  .  .  48 
31. — The  Baptism.  Verrocchio.  Academy,  Florence  .  49 
32. — The  Assumption.  Perugino.  Academy,  Florence  50 

M 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

WO.  PAGE. 

33. — The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin.  Fra  Filippo  Lippi. 

Academy,   Florence 51 

34. — Madonna  of  the  Star.  Fra  Angelico.   San  Marco, 

Florence 54 

35. — Christ  and  Disciples.  Fra  Angelico.   San  Marco, 

Florence 5<j 

36. — Savonarola.     Fra  Bartolommeo.     San  Marco, 

Florence 55 

37. — Group  of  Angels.     Benozzo  Gozzoli.    Riccardi 

Palace,    Florence  .....    56 

38.— Religion  and  Philosophy.    Taddeo  Gaddi  (?). 

Santa  Maria  Novella,  Florence       .        .        -57 

39. — Last  Supper.     Andrea  del  Sarto.     San  Salvi, 

Florence        .  58 

40. — Dante.     Giotto.     Bargello,  Florence        .        .     59 
41. — The  Assumption.  Titian.  Academy,  Venice        .    60 

42. — Presentation  in  the  Temple.    Titian.    Academy, 

Venice     . 61 

43. — Supper  in  the  House  of  Simon  the  Pharisee. 

Veronese.      Academy,   Venice        .        .        .61 

44. — The  Madonna  and  Child.    Bellini.    Academy, 

Venice 64 

45. — The  Adulteress.  Tintoretto.    Academy,  Florence     64 

46. — Supper   in    the   House   of    Simon.       Moretto. 

Academy,  Venice 65 

47. — St.  Ursula  and  her  Father.  Carpaccio.  Academy, 

Venice 65 

48. — St.  Barbara.    Palma  Vecchio.    Church  of  Santa 

Maria   Formosa,   Venice        .        .        .        .68 

49. — Minerva.  Tintoretto.  Doges'  Palace,  Venice       .    68 

50.— The   Miracle   of   St.  Mark.     Tintoretto.      Old 

Library,   Venice 69 

M 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG.  PAGE. 

51. — St.  John  the  Baptist  and  Other  Saints.    Cima. 

Madonna  dell'   Orto,   Venice        .  .     70 

52. — Madonna  of  the  Pesaro  Family.  Titian.   Church 

of  Santa  Maria  dei  Frari,  Venice        .        .     71 

53. — The  Last  Supper.    Leonardo  da  Vinci.    Santa 

Maria    delle    Grazia,    Milan        .        .        •     74 

54. — Head  of  Christ.     Leonardo  da  Vinci.     Brera 

Gallery,  Milan 74 

55.— Marriage   of    the   Virgin.       Raphael.       Brera 

Gallery,    Milan 75 

56.— The  Melon  Eaters.    Murillo.    Old  Pinakothek, 

Munich 80 

57. — Portrait  of  Velasquez.    Velasquez.    Old  Pinako- 
thek,   Munich         .        .    '     .        .        .         .81 

58.— St.  Paul  and  St.  Mark.  DUrer.   Old  Pinakothek, 

Munich 82 

59. — Portrait     of     Bismarck.       Lenbach.      Artist's 

House,  Munich 83 

60. — The  Sistine  Madonna.   Raphael.   Royal  Gallery, 

Dresden 86 

61. — The  Holy  Night.     Correggio.     Royal  Gallery, 

Dresden 87 

62.— The  Tribute  Money.     Titian.     Royal  Gallery, 

Dresden  .        .        .        .        .        .        .88 

63. — The  Meyer  Madonna.   Holbein.   Royal  Gallery, 

Dresden          .        .        .        .        .        .        .89 

64. — The  Adoration  of  the  Magi.     Veronese.     Royal 

Gallery,  Dresden 92 

65. — St.  Agnes.  Ribera.  Royal  Gallery,  Dresden        .    93 

66.— Reading  Magdalene.  VanderWerff.  Royal  Gal- 
lery,  Dresden 94 

67. — Portrait  of  Rembrandt  and  his  Wife.  Rembrandt. 

Royal   Gallery,   Dresden        .        .        .        .94 
[xii] 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIO.  PAGE. 

68. — Boy.  Pintoricchio.  Royal  Gallery,  Dresden        .    95 
69. — Village  Fete.    Teniers.    Royal  Gallery,  Dresden    96 

70. — Song  with  Piano.     Netscher.      Royal  Gallery, 

Dresden 96 

71. — Christ  on  the  Cross.     Durer.     Royal  Gallery, 

Dresden -97 

72. — Christ  with  the  Doctors.   Hofmann.   Royal  Gal- 
lery,   Dresden 97 

73. — St.  Anthony  and  Infant  Christ.   Murillo.   Berlin 

Gallery,  Berlin       ......  100 

74. — Portrait  of  Allesandro  del  Borro.     Velasquez. 

Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin 101 

75.— Hille  Bobbe.      Franz  Hals.      Berlin   Gallery, 

Berlin      ....  ^:    i    ...        .        .  102 

76. — Family  of   Gelfing.      Metsu.      Berlin   Gallery, 

Berlin      ...        .....        .        .  103 

77. — Madonna,  Child  and  Saints.    Vivarini.    Berlin 

Gallery,  Berlin       .    /  .    .    . .        .        .        .  103 

78.— Portrait  of  Titian.      Titian.      Berlin   Gallery, 

Berlin 106 

79. — The  Magi  and  the  Star.     Van   der  Weyden. 

Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin 107 

80. — Night    Watch.     Rembrandt.     Ryks    Museum, 

Amsterdam no 

81.— The    Cloth    Merchants.      Rembrandt.       Ryks 

Museum,  Amsterdam      .        .        .        .        .  in 

82.— The  Banquet  of  Civic  Guards.    Van  der  Heist. 

Ryks  Gallery,  Amsterdam        .        .        ,        .112 

83.— The   Jester.       Franz   Hals.      Ryks   Museum, 

Amsterdam     .        .        .        .        .       *        .  113 

84. — Christmas.    Jan  Steen.    Ryks  Museum,  Amster- 
dam        .        .        .        ....        .  113 

[xiii] 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PIO.  PAGE. 

85. — School  of  Anatomy.  Rembrandt.  Picture  Gallery, 

The  Hague 116 

86— The  Bull.     Paul  Potter.     Picture  Gallery,  The 

Hague 117 

87.— The  Despatch.  TerBorch.  Picture  Gallery,  The 

Hague -117 

88.— Soap  Bubbles.  Van  Mieris.  Picture  Gallery, 

The  Hague.  118 

89. — The  Descent  from  the  Cross.   Rubens.   Antwerp 

Cathedral,     Antwerp 119 

90. — Le  Source.  Ingres.  Louvre,  Paris.  .        .122 

91. — Mona  Lisa.    Leonardo  da  Vinci.    Louvre,  Paris  123 

92. — St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon.   Raphael.   Louvre, 

Paris 124 

93. — Marriage  of  St.  Catharine.    Correggio.    Louvre, 

Paris 125 

94. — St.  Augustine  and  his  Mother.  Scheffer.  Louvre, 

Paris 125 

95. — Immaculate   Conception.       Murillo.      Louvre, 

Paris 126 

96. — Coronation  of  the  Virgin.  Fra  Angelico.  Louvre, 

Paris 127 

97. — Dance  of  the  Muses.  Corot.  Louvre,  Paris  .  130 
98. — Cattle  Going  to  Work.  Troyon.  Louvre,  Paris  131 
99. — Madame  Re*camier.  David.  Louvre,  Paris  .  131 

100. — Artist  and  Daughter.  Madame  Lebrun.  Louvre, 

Paris 132 

loi.— Old  Man  and  Boy.    Ghirlandajo.   Louvre,  Paris  133 
102. — Mount  Parnassus.     Mantegna.     Louvre,  Paris  134 

103.— Charles  I.  and  his  Horse.    Van  Dyck.    Louvre, 

Paris 135 

[xivl 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PIG.  PAGE. 

104. — Supper  at  Emmaus.  Rembrandt.  Louvre,  Paris  138 
105. — L'Infanta  Marguerite.  Velasquez.  Louvre,  Paris  139 
106. — Dropsical  Woman.  Dou.  Louvre,  Paris  .  .  140 
107. — Fish  Market.  Ostade.  Louvre,  Paris  .  .  141 

108. — Officer  and  Young  Woman.  Ter  Borch.  Louvre, 

Paris 141 

109. — Young  Girl.  Flinck.  Louvre,  Paris  .  .  142 
no. — The  Blessing.  Chardin.  Louvre,  Paris  .  .  142 

in . — Helena Fourment  and  Children.  Rubens.  Louvre, 

Paris 143 

112. — Whistler's  Mother.      Whistler.      Luxembourg, 

Paris 146 

113. — Carmencita.  Sargent.  Luxembourg,  Paris  .  147 
114. — The  Gleaner.  Breton.  Luxembourg,  Paris  .  148 
115. — The  Dream.  Detaille.  Luxembourg,  Paris  .  149 
116. — The  Foundling.  Decamps.  Luxembourg,  Paris  150 

117. — Oxen    Ploughing.      Rosa    Bonheur.      Luxem- 
bourg, Paris 150 

118. — Christ  in  the  Peasant's  Hut.  Von  Uhde.  Luxem- 
bourg, Paris 151 

119. — The  Hemicycle.      Chavannes.      The  Sorbonne 

(University  of  Paris),  Paris    .        .        .        .151 

1 20. — Raising  of  Lazarus.   Piombo.   National  Gallery, 

London 154 

121. — St.    Helena.       Veronese.       National    Gallery, 

London 155 

122. — The  Tailor.   Moroni.   National  Gallery,  London  156 

123. — Doge  Loredano.      Bellini.      National  Gallery, 

London .  157 

124. — Chapeau  de  Paille.    Rubens.    National  Gallery, 

London 158 

M 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FIG.  PACB. 

125. — The  Avenue.      Hobbema.      National   Gallery, 

London 159 

126. — The  Shrimp  Girl.    Hogarth.    National  Gallery, 

London 160 

127. — Artist  and  Dog.     Hogarth.     National  Gallery, 

London 161 

128. — Canterbury  Pilgrims.  Stothard.  National  Gal- 
lery, London 161 

129. — Angel  Heads.      Reynolds.      National   Gallery, 

London  ........  162 

130. — Mrs.  Siddons.   Gainsborough.  National  Gallery, 

London 163 

131. — The  Hay-Wain.    Constable.    National  Gallery, 

London. 163 

132. — Shoeing  the  Bay  Mare.  Landseer.  National 

Gallery,  London 166 

133.— The  Fighting  Temeraire.  Turner.  National  Gal- 
lery, London 167 

134. — Cardinal  Newman.     Watts.     National  Portrait 

Gallery,  London 168 

135.— Lady  Macbeth.  Sargent.  Tait  Gallery, 

London 169 

136.— Orpheus  and  Eurydice.  Watts.  Tait  Gallery, 

London 172 

137. — Mrs.  Siddons.  Reynolds.  Grosvenor  House, 

London 172 

138.— -The  Blue  Boy.  Grosvenor  House,  London.         .  173 


Ixvi] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE  IN 
EUROPE   IN    ONE   SUMMER 


I 


MISTAKES  OF  SIGHTSEERS  IN  EUROPE 
AND  HOW  TO  AVOID  THEM 


grave  faults  are  inherent  in  most  Ameri- 
can  travellers  who  visit  Europe.  They  are 
defects,  too,  that  in  the  eyes  of  thinkers  often 
have  made  these  tourists,  and  through  them  their 
country,  a  laughing-stock  to  the  world.  Briefly 
these  faults  are:  (i)  covering  too  much  ground  in 
too  short  a  space  of  time  ;  (2)  insufficient  prepa- 
ration intellectually  for  the  trip.  No  truer  state- 
ment was  ever  made  about  foreign  travel  than 
that  "you  bring  back  from  Europe  what  you  take 
with  you."  We  all  admit  that  travel  is  an  edu- 
cator, but  must  surely  agree  that  haste  and  igno- 
rance are  not  conducive  to  the  education  of  the 
traveller. 

It  is  far  from  my  desire  to  foster  either  of  these 
faults,  yet  so  long  as  they  exist  it  is  my  wish  to 
minimize  them  to  the  smallest  degree  of  harm- 
fulness.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  the  empty 
brain  must  be  filled  in  hurried  time  with  some- 
thing that  can  be  carried  duty  free  back  to  Amer- 
ica. No  scheme,  however  simple,  can  fill  the 

[3] 


.«    ,,.  WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

void  pi  either  time  or  brains;  on  the  other  hand, 
;t<  is"  possible  to  help  those  people  who  hurry 
because  they  must  and  who  really  want  to  learn, 
yet  have  had  no  time  to  prepare. 

Of  all  the  treasures  in  Europe  pictures  prob- 
ably would  lead  the  list  in  numbers;  and  of  all 
the  treasures  that  the  travelling  public  goes  to 
see  pictures  would  no  doubt  take  the  lead.  But 
between  the  vast  number  of  pictures  that  cover 
miles  of  wall  space  in  the  galleries  of  Europe,  and 
the  special  few  that  the  general  sightseer  ought 
to  remember,  there  is  a  gap  too  wide  for  an  un- 
trained mind  to  comprehend.  Baedeker,  and 
other  admirable  guide-book  makers,  have  starred 
and  double-starred  selected  pictures  in  their 
closely  printed  pages  until  an  attempt  to  see  even 
the  specialized  pictures  has  tired  the  eyes  and 
confused  the  brain;  and  yet  not  a  fraction  of  the 
whole  number  mentioned  in  these  guide-books 
are  marked  with  an  asterisk. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  "How  many  pic- 
tures ought  one  to  remember  well  enough  to  de- 
scribe intelligently  after  a  summer  in  Europe?" 
I  have  heard  prominent  educators  put  the  number 
as  low  as  twenty.  But  why  set  any  limit?  Let 
each  individual  decide  the  number  for  himself. 
Fortunately  the  postal-card  deluge  and  cheap 
reproductions  have  so  multiplied  the  likenesses 
of  the  original  paintings  that  the  returned  trav- 

[4] 


MISTAKES  OF  SIGHTSEERS 

eller  is  able  to  keep  before  him  constant  reminders 
of  the  masterpieces.  This  has  reduced  the  ne- 
cessity of  carrying  the  details  of  each  picture  in 
one's  mind,  enabling  the  tourist  to  devote  more 
time  to  a  study  of  the  underlying  thought  and 
characteristics  of  each  artist. 

It  is  vitally  important  in  studying  pictures  that 
the  best  examples  in  each  gallery  be  surely  seen, 
and  also  that  they  be  studied  before  the  eyes  and 
brain  have  become  fagged  from  miscellaneous 
sightseeing.  In  order  to  do  this  we  must  be 
familiar  with  the  pictures  that  we  have  come 
specially  to  see.  Now  my  plan  is  to  take  you  with 
me  through  some  of  the  principal  galleries  of 
Europe  and  to  point  out  a  few  of  the  pictures  that 
the  world  has  accepted  as  masterpieces.  We 
recognise,  as  did  Michael  Angelo,  that  it  is  "pub- 
lic opinion"  which,  after  all,  gives  the  true  value 
to  a  work  of  art,  but  furthermore  it  must  be  public 
opinion  aided  by  time  and  thoughtful  criticism. 
In  following  out  my  plan  no  legitimate  means  will 
be  neglected  that  can  help  to  fix  the  world  pic- 
tures in  the  mind.  There  will  be  plenty  of  anec- 
dotes and  stories  relative  to  the  lives  of  the  artists, 
besides  pertinent  bits  of  history  that  will  place  both 
painter  and  painting  in  their  proper  setting. 
Tradition,  legend,  and  myth  also  will  be  used  to 
explain  the  meaning  of  the  subjects  and  to  draw 
attention  to  the  artist's  skill  in  utilising  classical 

ts] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

or  biblical  allusions.  Much  of  the  import  of  a 
picture  is  often  lost,  just  as  are  classical  references 
in  literature,  through  a  failure  to  appreciate  some 
special  sign  or  symbol  borrowed  from  the  mythical 
or  historical  that  illuminates  the  painter's  meaning. 
Aided  by  the  method  outlined  above,  and  assisted 
also  by  reproductions  of  some  of  the  masterpieces, 
I  hope  to  fix  the  essentials  of  a  number  of  pic- 
tures in  your  minds.  When  at  length  you  have 
an  opportunity  to  see  the  original  paintings,  your 
judgment,  trained  to  recognise  the  best,  will  be 
a  reliable  guide  in  selecting  other  masterpieces 
from  among  the  vast  numbers  in  the  various 
galleries. 

Those  who  desire  to  supplement  the  illustra- 
tions in  this  book  with  reproductions  of  the  other 
pictures  mentioned  may  easily  do  so  with  blue 
prints  or  half-tones  purchasable  at  a  penny  each. 

I  have  not  attempted  to  give  the  exact  situation 
of  the  pictures  in  the  various  galleries,  as  changes 
are  always  liable  to  occur  in  the  arrangement. 
A  local  guide-book  or  inquiry  of  an  attendant, 
even  when  he  speaks  no  English,  will  supply  these 
details. 

No  more  profitable  place  to  begin  sightseeing 
can  be  found  than  Italy,  and  Rome — whither  all 
roads  lead,  and  the  Vatican — where  the  art  of 
painting  may  be  said  to  centre.  But  the  Vatican 
is  a  vast  place  so  again  we  must  specialise  and 


MISTAKES  OF  SIGHTSEERS 

name  the  Sistine  Chapel.  Let  me  impress  upon 
you  at  the  start,  that  this  trip  is  not  intended  to 
exhaust  the  picture  treasures  of  the  galleries 
visited,  but  rather  to  place  before  you  as  many 
masterpieces  as  can  be  seen  comfortably  and  with 
profit  in  one  summer. 


[7] 


II 


ROME— THE   VATICAN— THE   SISTINE 
CHAPEL 

ly/TICHAEL  ANGELO,  the  presiding  genius 
-***-*•  of  the  Sistine  Chapel,  has  produced  on 
the  ceiling  a  work  so  marvellous  that  for  four 
centuries  it  has  indexed  the  high-water  mark  of 
fresco  painting.  Along  the  centre  of  the  ceiling 
he  has  depicted  scenes  representing  the  history 
of  the  world  from  the  first  day  of  creation  to  the 
flood.  Around  the  central  panels  are  alternating 
prophets  and  sibyls  arranged  as  though  they 
were  looking  out  on  the  world  foretelling  coming 
events. 

In  the  first  three  panels  Michael  Angelo  pic- 
tures the  Creator  in  the  act  of  creation.  Such 
reverent  daring  was  never  before  put  on  record. 
And  then,  as  though  to  intensify  and  yet  soften 
the  awful  mystery  of  the  birth  of  a  world,  in  the 
fourth  division  (Fig.  i)  he  portrays  man  in  the 
nascent  state.  The  latent  power  of  that  prostrate 
figure  is  tremendous!  One  almost  feels  the  out- 
stretched arm  gather  strength  as  the  divine  spark 
of  life  leaps  from  the  finger  of  God  through  the 

[8] 


FIG.  2.     Cumaean   Sibyl.      Michael   Angelo.      Sistine 
Chapel,    Vatican,    Rome. 


ROME 

intervening  space.  The  whole  being  of  the  newly 
created  Adam  is  rousing  into  life  before  our  very 
eyes.  Nothing  could  equal  the  simplicity  and 
depth  of  such  a  picture  but  the  words  of  the  Bible 
itself:  "So  God  created  man  in  his  own  image, 
in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him."  How  like 
the  shrouded  body  of  the  Creator  is  the  nude  form 
of  the  creature! 

In  the  fifth  division  Michael  Angelo  continues 
to  interpret  that  mysterious  story  told  in  Genesis. 
And  who  but  a  great  master  could  have  so  graph- 
ically pictured  those  grand  old  words?  Listen! 
"And  the  Lord  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  on 
Adam,  and  he  slept;  and  he  took  one  of  his  ribs. 
....  And  the  rib  which  the  Lord  God  had  taken 
from  man,  made  he  woman."  Now  look  at  the 
artist's  "Creation  of  Eve."  The  profound  sleep 
of  Adam,  the  eager,  womanly  adoration  of  the 
newly  created  Eve,  and  the  human  fatherhood  of 
the  Creator  are  products  of  a  God-given  genius. 
Only  one  whose  Bible  was  a  vital  part  of  himself 
could  have  told  that  story  so  simply  and  forcefully. 

The  sibyls  foretold  to  the  Gentiles  the  same 
event  that  was  the  theme  of  the  old  Hebrew  proph- 
ets— the  advent  and  mission  of  a  saviour.  Pos- 
sibly because  the  Cumaean  Sibyl  prophesied  the 
Nativity  she  is  the  most  familiar  sibyl  in  art  al- 
though she  is  represented  in  age  from  fifteen  to  de- 
crepit old  womanhood.  We  are  inclined  to  believe 

[9] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

that  the  dignity  of  age  is  greatly  to  her  advantage 
as  she  consults  her  book  among  her  prophetic 
companions  in  the  Sistine  Ceiling  (Fig.  2).  Just 
why  King  Tarquin,  six  centuries  before  Christ, 
withstood  her  warnings  is  not  known;  but  tradi- 
tion says  that  three  times  she  came  to  him  offering 
her  books  before  he  bought  them.  At  first  she 
had  nine  books,  then  burning  three  she  offered 
the  remaining  six,  and  after  burning  three  more 
Tarquin  bought  the  last  three  for  the  original 
sum  asked  for  the  nine.  So  precious  were  these 
leaves  that  for  centuries  they  were  under  the  care 
of  the  priests,  until  the  temple  of  Jupiter  was 
burned  in  B.C.  83. 

Before  we  commune  with  "  Jeremiah,"  one  of 
the  grandest  figures  in  all  art,  let  us  try  to  grasp 
a  little  of  the  architectural  design  of  this  great 
scheme  of  ceiling  decoration.  Look  at  those 
decorative  figures  placed  with  such  consummate 
skill  that  each  one,  whether  of  natural  colour  or  of 
a  bronze  tint,  emerges  from  the  surrounding 
scenes  as  though  coming  from  a  world  of  reality. 
It  seems  incredible  that  a  vaulted  surface — flat 
in  the  middle — could  be  covered  so  adroitly  with 
imitation  columns,  pillars,  and  cornices  that  the 
figures  amongst  them  seem  but  a  part  of  an  archi- 
tectural scheme ;  and  yet  the  Cumaean  Sibyl  holds 
her  place  in  this  vast  assembly  of  two  hundred 
figures  as  though  she  alone  had  been  considered, 

[10] 


ROME 

Now  we  turn  to  "  Jeremiah  "  (Fig.  3),  chief 
among  the  prophets.  That  noble  old  seer  with  his 
head  resting  on  his  hand  is  communing  with  him- 
self. We  know  with  what  bitterness,  sadness,  and 
hopefulness  he  felt  the  sins,  backslidings,  and 
repentances  of  the  chosen  people.  His  attitude 
is  that  of  one  who  not  only  foretells  through 
visions  but  understands  the  signs  of  the  time. 
The  strength  and  grandeur,  sympathy  and  ten- 
derness condensed  into  that  single  figure  show 
Michael  Angelo's  wonderful  power  in  making 
those  old  characters  live  again  for  us. 

Michael  Angelo  was  scarcely  thirty-five  years 
old  when  he  began  the  Sistine  Chapel.  He  had 
returned  to  Rome  in  1508  to  resume  his  work  on 
the  tomb  of  Julius  II;  but  Bramante,  the  archi- 
tect, jealous  of  the  young  artist  and  wishing  for 
his  downfall,  suggested  to  Pope  Julius  that  he 
was  just  the  man  to  paint  the  chapel,  knowing 
that  painting  was  Angelo's  weak  point.  Michael 
Angelo  objected,  but  what  cared  the  Pope  that 
he  had  done  no  fresco  painting  since  the  days 
when  he  was  a  lad  in  Ghirlandajo's  studio  ?  The 
Pope's  wish  was  law,  and  for  once  the  artist 
yielded,  possibly  not  so  much  to  please  his  noble 
patron  as  to  show  Bramante  that  it  would  take 
a  greater  man  than  he  to  accomplish  his  ruin. 

Michael  Angelo  allowed  Bramante  to  put  up 
the  scaffolding  in  the  Chapel,  only  to  bring  him 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

to  confusion,  however,  by  tearing  down  his  bun- 
gling work  and  demanding  to  know  how  the  holes 
made  in  the  dome  for  the  cords  to  support  the 
suspended  scaffolding  were  to  be  filled.  Bra- 
mante  answered  superciliously,  "Fill  in  with 
plaster,  and  paint  them  after  the  rest  is  finished." 
Michael  Angelo  was  too  disgusted  to  notice  such 
silly  nonsense  and  proceeded  to  make  his  own  scaf- 
folding, and  for  the  first  time  a  painter's  platform 
was  erected  without  holes  in  the  wall.  This  little 
episode  was  but  the  beginning  of  numberless  an- 
noyances that  marked  the  progress  of  the  work 
through  the  four  years  until  its  completion. 

One  of  the  tiffs  that  arose  while  the  artist  was 
executing  this  marvel  of  art  almost  proved  fatal 
to  its  completion.  Michael  Angelo  wished  for 
money  that  he  might  visit  his  father  in  Florence. 
Julius  began  at  once  to  interrogate  him  as  to  how 
soon  he  would  finish  the  Chapel.  "As  soon  as  I 
can,"  the  artist  replied.  This  answer  was  like 
fire  to  tow.  The  touchy  old  pontiff  flew  into  a 
passion  and  repeating  in  great  fury,  "As  soon  as 
I  can,"  struck  the  artist  with  his  cane.  This  indig- 
nity was  too  much  for  Michael  Angelo  and  he 
left  for  Florence  with  the  intention  of  not  return- 
ing. But  the  Pope — always  the  first  to  renew 
the  broken  friendship — soon  repented  him  of  his 
haste.  He  sent  his  favourite  attendant  with  a  large 
sum  of  money  as  a  peace  offering  and  a  humble 

[Ml 


FIG.  3. 


Jeremiah. 
Chapel. 


Michael  Angelo.    Sistine 
Vatican,  Rome. 


FIG.  4.     Detail  from     Last    Judgment 

Michael  Angelo.     Sistine  Chapel, 

Vatican,     Rome. 


FIG.  5.     Last    Judgment.      Michael    Angelo.      Sistine    Chapel,    Vatican,    Rome. 


ROME 

request  for  the  artist's  return.  Even  when  the 
work  was  finished  and  its  praise  was  on  every 
Up,  Julius  still  dictated  and  declared  that  the 
Chapel  looked  poor  because  it  lacked  gilding. 
But  the  final  word  was  spoken  when  Michael 
Angelo  retorted,  "The  people  I  have  painted  on 
it  are  poor." 

The  marvellous  originality  of  Michael  Angelo 
is  just  as  pronounced  in  "The  Last  Judgment," 
on  the  altar  end  of  the  Chapel.  If  we  begin  with 
the  "Christ"  (Fig.  4),  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
fresco,  we  find  a  Saviour  in  whom  is  combined  the 
commendator  and  the  condemner  in  a  most 
startling  manner.  Comparing  this  conception 
of  the  Redeemer  with  that  of  the  transfigured 
Saviour  in  the  "Transfiguration,"  of  Raphael 
(Fig.  n),  in  the  Vatican  Picture  Gallery,  we  real- 
ize at  once  how  much  the  temperaments  of  the 
two  artists  have  entered  into  their  works.  In 
the  one  we  have  the  all-powerful  Judge,  in  the 
other  the  glorified  human  Saviour. 

Michael  Angelo's  "Last  Judgment"  (Fig.  5) 
as  a  whole  is  not  a  pleasing  subject,  but  no  one 
will  deny  that  even  in  its  cracked  and  scarred 
condition  to-day,  it  is  a  powerful  work.  No 
other  artist  until  that  day  ever  had  the  temerity 
to  picture  the  scene  as  one  entirely  apart  from  the 
natural  world.  Here  are  clouds  and  human 
beings  completely  covering  the  east  end  of  the 

[13] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

Chapel.  Again  the  wonderful  foreshortening  of 
the  individual  figures  almost  surpasses  belief. 
The  number  and  variety  of  the  symbols  of  mar- 
tyrdom and  the  works  of  the  devil  given  to  the 
re-embodied  souls  of  saints  and  sinners  are  only 
comparable  to  Dante's  Inferno.  The  fresco  was 
first  exhibited  to  the  public  on  Christmas  Day, 


Michael  Angelo  was  now  sixty-six  and  had 
lost  some  of  the  fire  of  his  youth,  but  he  still  held 
his  own  against  opponents.  One  day  the  Pope's 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  Biagio  da  Cesena,  ex- 
pressed his  opinion  that  the  naked  figures  in  the 
"Last  Judgment"  were  fit  only  for  a  bath  house. 
This  statement  came  to  the  ears  of  Michael 
Angelo;  he  said  nothing,  but  simply  painted 
Biagio's  portrait  among  the  damned  as  Minos. 
The  furious  Biagio  appealed  to  the  Pope  without 
avail.  "I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,"  said  the  Pope 
when  he  was  told  where  he  had  been  placed  in 
the  fresco,  "if  he  had  only  put  you  in  purgatory, 
I  could  have  got  you  out;  but  as  you  are  in  hell 
I  can  do  nothing  for  you.  My  power  doesn't 
reach  so  far.  Nulla  est  redemption  Biagio  is 
still  in  hell  in  the  "Last  Judgment." 

The  other  frescos  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  (Fig.  6) 
were  painted  by  six  of  the  leading  artists  of  Italy 
about  the  time  of  Michael  Angelo's  birth  —  1475. 
These  artists,  Pintoricchio,  Botticelli,  Ghirlan- 


FIG.  6.     Sistine  Chapel.    Vatican,  Rome. 


ROME 

dajo,  Perugino,  and  Rosselli,  have  works  in  every 
gallery  in  Europe,  so  their  names  will  grow  famil- 
iar to  us  as  we  proceed  on  our  journey.  The 
subjects  of  the  twelve  frescos  on  the  side  walls 
are  from  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  The 
wily  Rosselli,  who  painted  six  of  the  twelve,  was 
inferior  as  an  artist,  but  superior  as  a  student  of 
human  nature.  He  recognised  the  plebeian  taste 
of  Pope  Sixtus  IV,  who  ordered  the  Chapel  built 
and  decorated,  and  caught  the  Pope's  fancy  by 
covering  his  trial  picture  with  gold.  Human 
nature  repeats  itself  in  all  ages. 

One  of  the  best  preserved  of  these  frescos  is 
"  Christ  Giving  the  Keys  to  St.  Peter,"  by  Pe- 
rugino (Fig.  7).  We  are  especially  interested  in 
this  artist  because  of  his  famous  pupil  Raphael. 
Comparing  this  painting  with  an  early  work  of 
Raphael's,  "The  Marriage  of  the  Virgin,"  in 
Milan  (Fig.  55),  we  find  how  much  alike  were 
master  and  pupil  during  the  early  years  of  the 
latter's  art  career.  The  spaciousness  of  this 
composition  of  Perugino's  is  particularly  pleasing. 
Notice  how  the  space  between  the  foreground  and 
background  is  intensified  by  the  tessellated  pave- 
ment and  the  figures  placed  at  varying  distances 
from  each  other.  How  satisfying  is  that  lofty 
dome  with  its  open  verandas,  and  the  lovely 
landscape  in  the  distance  set  against  the  fleecy 
clouds  and  deep  blue  of  the  sky! 


Ill 


ROME— THE  VATICAN— TAPESTRIES, 

STANZE,  LOGGIA,  AND  PICTURE 

GALLERY 

VT'OU  possibly  noticed  underneath  the  older 
•*•  frescos  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  painted  imi- 
tations of  tapestries.  Let  us  now  look  at  the 
real  fabrics  displayed  in  one  of  the  corridors  of 
the  Vatican,  and  on  state  occasions  hung  in  the 
Chapel.  Raphael  designed  and  painted  the  origi- 
nal cartoons  or  patterns  by  order  of  Julius  II. 
These  were  sent  to  Flanders  where  the  tapestries 
were  woven  in  wool,  silk,  and  gold.  For  many 
years  the  original  cartoons  were  lost,  but  seven 
of  them  were  finally  recovered  through  the  efforts 
of  Peter  Paul  Rubens,  and,  at  his  suggestion, 
Charles  I.  bought  them  for  England  and  to-day 
they  are  among  the  treasures  of  the  South  Kensing- 
ton Museum,  London. 

Raphael  chose  for  his  subjects  on  these  tapes- 
tries stories  from  the  New  Testament,  most  of 
them  illustrating  various  scenes  from  the  lives  of 
the  Apostles  as  told  in  The  Acts.  Possibly  the 
picture  most  familiar  to  us,  however,  is  the  one 
[16] 


ROME 

representing  the  memorable  dialogue  between 
the  Saviour  and  Peter  as  related  by  St.  John,  when 
the  charge  was  given  "Feed  my  Sheep "  (Fig.  8). 
While  Raphael  no  doubt  had  in  mind  that  morn- 
ing so  long  ago  when  the  Saviour  met  a  few  of  the 
disciples  on  the  shores  of  the  sea  of  Tiberias,  he 
has  modified  the  scene  to  represent  St.  Peter  as 
the  founder  of  the  Roman  Church.  All  of  the 
disciples  are  present  and  St.  Peter  is  receiving 
the  keys  as  significant  of  his  superior  standing 
among  them. 

Naturally  we  turn  next  to  Raphael's  Stanze, 
but  before  doing  so,  let  us  stop  to  see  a  little  gem 
in  the  Borgia  apartment — Pintoricchio's  "  Ma- 
donna and  Child"  (Fig.  9).  These  rooms,  decor- 
ated by  order  of  Pope  Alexander  VI.,  the  infamous 
Borgia  of  history,  were  walled  up  by  Julius  II. 
and  were  not  seen  again  until  Pope  Leo  XIII. 
ordered  them  opened  less  than  half  a  century  ago. 
The  very  name  Borgia  suggests  plots,  murders, 
and  unseemly  conduct  in  the  most  holy  rela- 
tionships of  life.  It  scarcely  seems  possible  that 
Julia  Farnese,  the  mistress  of  Alexander  VI., 
could  have  been  the  model  for  this  beautiful  pic- 
ture. The  fresco  is  over  the  door  of  one  of  the 
chambers,  so  do  not  overlook  it,  thinking  to  find 
it  among  the  larger  paintings  on  the  side  walls. 

Raphael's  Stanze  in  the  papal  state-apart- 
ments in  the  Vatican  were  painted  by  order  of 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

Popes  Julius  II.  and  Leo  X.  When  Michael 
Angelo  began  the  Sistine  ceiling  in  1508,  Raphael 
also  commenced  decorating  the  rooms  of  the 
state-apartment.  He  was  then  twenty-five  years 
old,  and  at  his  death,  twelve  years  later,  only  three 
of  the  four  rooms  were  completed.  Not  all  the 
frescos  in  these  three  rooms  are  by  Raphael's 
own  hand,  yet  his  happy  faculty  of  instilling  his 
own  spirit  into  his  pupils  has  made  the  work  a 
perfect  whole.  The  room  of  greatest  interest, 
and  almost  entirely  by  the  master's  hand,  is  the 
Stanza  della  Signatura,  so  called  because  the 
papal  indulgences  were  signed  and  sealed  therein. 
The  subjects  here  represented  are  symbolical 
of  Theology,  Poetry,  Philosophy,  and  Justice. 
In  the  lunette,  under  the  ceiling  fresco  of  Poetry, 
is  "Parnassus"  (Fig.  10),  a  subject  wonderfully 
pleasing  in  conception  and  arrangement.  On 
top  of  the  mount  in  the  centre  of  the  circle  Isits 
Apollo  surrounded  by  the  muses,  and  at  his  eft 
blind  Homer  inspired  to  sing  by  the  music  of  *he 
god.  Dante,  Virgil,  Petrarch,  and  Sappho  are 
just  below  Homer  and  on  the  opposite  side  are 
Pindar  and  Horace,  in  company  with  contempo- 
raries of  the  artists  of  the  early  sixteenth  century. 
Raphael's  marvellous  skill  as  a  space-filler  has 
transformed  the  awkward  shape  over  and  around 
the  window  frame  into  a  form  most  convenient 
for  the  design  he  wished  to  portray. 
[18] 


FIG.  8.     Feed  My  Sheep.     Raphael.     Vatican,  Rome. 


FIG.  9.     Madonna  and  Child.     Pintoricchio. 
Vatican,  Rome. 


I 


ROME 

Another  place  in  the  Vatican  where  Raphael 
has  shown  this  power  of  turning  curious  and  un- 
equal shapes  to  advantage  is  the  Loggia — a 
portico  ornamented  with  his  pictures.  On  the 
ceiling  of  this  gallery  is  Raphael's  Bible.  The 
subdividing  rafters  separate  this  ceiling  into  thir- 
teen vaults  and  in  each  vault  are  four  scenes. 
The  subjects  in  twelve  of  the  vaults  are  taken 
from  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the  last  one  are 
scenes  from  the  New  Testament.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  compare  Raphael's  conception  of  "The 
Creation  of  Eve,"  the  fourth  picture  in  the  second 
section,  with  Michael  Angelo's  treatment  of  the 
same  subject  on  the  Sistine  ceiling.  These  paint- 
ings are  badly  injured,  for  the  portico  was  open  to 
the  weather  until  1813  when  the  glass  front  was 
added. 

In  the  picture  gallery  of  the  Vatican  the  first 
painting  that  claims  our  attention  is  Raphael's 
"  Transfiguration "  (Fig.  n),  the  work  that  was 
left  unfinished  at  the  artist's  untimely  death. 
Raphael  began  this  canvas  in  a  trial  of  skill  be- 
tween himself  and  Sebastiano  del  Piombo.  The 
latter's  picture,  "The  Raising  of  Lazarus,"  is  in 
the  National  Gallery,  London  (Fig.  120).  Michael 
Angelo,  jealous  for  Piombo  and  knowing  his 
weakness  in  drawing,  himself  drew  in  the  figure  of 
Lazarus.  This  concession  to  his  ability  caused 
Raphael  to  make  the  famous  remark:  "Michael 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

Angelo  has  graciously  favoured  me,  in  that  he 
deemed  me  worthy  to  compete  with  himself,  and 
not  with  Sebastiano."  No  one  but  a  master  would 
have  dared  to  make  two  centres  of  interest,  as 
Raphael  has  in  this  painting.  But  note  how  he 
has  subordinated  the  human  side  in  the  lower 
half  of  the  picture  by  raising  the  hands  of  the 
distressed  disciples  and  pointing  them  to  the 
transfigured  Saviour  above  as  their  only  source 
of  strength.  This  masterpiece,  with  colours  still 
wet,  was  carried  in  the  funeral  train  and 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  young  painter  as  his 
body  lay  in  state. 

Opposite  this  glorious  painting  is  Raphael's 
picture  of  the  "Madonna  of  Foligno."  This 
picture  was  painted  for  Sigismund  Conti,  an  aged 
bishop  of  Foligno,  in  commemoration  of  the 
preservation  of  his  life,  when  a  shell  exploded 
near  him  at  the  bombardment  of  the  city  of 
Foligno.  The  painting  was  finished  after  the 
bishop's  death  and  remained  in  Rome  for  fifty 
years  before  it  was  taken  to  Foligno.  Napoleon 
carried  the  painting  to  Paris  and  after  the  battle 
of  Waterloo  it  was  returned  to  Italy  and  finally 
hung  in  the  Vatican  gallery.  Although  this  is 
one  of  Raphael's  earlier  oil  paintings  it  is  in  colour- 
blending  one  of  the  most  beautiful.  For  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  art  the  traditional  throne 
under  a  canopy  gives  place  to  clouds  and  the  free 

[20] 


FIG.  11.     Transfiguration.    Raphael.    Vatican,  Rome. 


FIG.  12.     Last    Communion   of   St.    Jerome.      Domenichino. 
Vatican,     Rome. 


ROME 

air  of  heaven  where  the  Madonna  and  Child  float 
encircled  by  a  halo  of  cherubs  with  sweet  baby 
faces.  The  boy-angel  looking  up  at  the  Virgin 
seems  to  be  the  connecting  bond  between  earth  and 
heaven  in  this  grateful  thank-offering.  Vasari 
says,  "It  is  not  possible  to  imagine  anything  more 
graceful  or  beautiful  than  this  child."  The  ex- 
quisite beauty  of  the  Virgin,  the  sweet  joyousness 
of  the  baby  Jesus,  and  the  sincere  gratitude  of 
the  worn  and  aged  bishop  raised  this  picture  to 
a  place  of  great  distinction  among  the  artists  of 
all  Italy  during  Raphael's  own  lifetime. 

In  the  next  room  is  Perugino's  "  Resurrection," 
which  is  especially  interesting  because  the  sleep- 
ing soldier  in  it  is  probably  a  portrait  of  Raphael 
and  the  fleeing  man  at  the  left  that  of  Perugino 
himself.  Raphael  at  this  time  was  a  pupil  in 
Perugino's  studio  and  may  have  assisted  on  the 
picture.  The  solitariness  of  the  figures  in  the 
composition  is  a  marked  trait  of  Perugino;  be- 
sides there  is  here  also  a  solidity  of  colour  and  a 
crisp  precision  of  execution  that  are  prominent 
features  of  all  his  oil  paintings. 

Domenichino's  "Last  Communion  of  St. 
Jerome"  (Fig.  12)  has  acquired  a  reputation 
that  its  real  merit  can  hardly  justify.  For  some 
unaccountable  reason  also,  it  has  crept  into  several 
lists  of  the  ten  great  pictures  of  the  world,  but 
that  it  is  an  intruder  in  such  company  is  self- 

[21] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

evident.  Domenichino  has  represented  poor  old 
St.  Jerome  so  realistically,  however,  that  no  one 
could  doubt  that  he  had  crucified  the  flesh  until 
all  earthly  desires  were  overcome.  The  compo- 
sition is  powerful,  but  the  lack  of  warmth  in 
colour  and  the  hardness  in  handling  detract  from 
its  value  as  a  masterpiece.  It  is  pleasing  to  note 
how  the  artist  has  recognised  the  quaint  legend 
of  the  saint  by  placing  the  lion  near  him.  We 
all  love  the  old  story  wherein  it  is  told  that  St. 
Jerome  extracted  a  thorn  from  the  lion's  foot, 
and  that  ever  afterward  this  king  of  the  forest 
was  the  faithful  servant  and  protector  of  the  old 
saint  in  his  desert  home.  Then  later  when  the 
lion  had  offended  his  master  he  sought  forgiveness 
by  bringing  to  St.  Jerome  another  lion  with  a 
thorn  in  his  foot  and  thus  redeemed  himself  by 
good  works.  Such  old  legends  teach  many  a 
wholesome  lesson. 

The  few  pictures  we  have  selected  in  the  Vati- 
can are  simply  examples  to  be  used  until  time 
and  inclination  shall  prompt  a  wider  study  of  the 
great  masterpieces  in  that  famous  gallery. 


IV 


ROME— PICTURES   IN   CHURCHES    AND 
PALACES 

T  N  the  Sacristy  of  St.  Peter's  are  the  "Angel" 
•*•  (Fig.  13)  fragments  from  the  frescos  of 
Melozzo  da  Forli  formerly  in  the  church  of  S.S. 
Apostoli.  These  beautiful  beings  with  wings 
are  nearly  as  well  known  as  the  Era  Angelico 
angels.  Originally  they  formed  the  choir  in  the 
"  Ascension  of  Christ,"  and  were  arranged  in 
the  clouds  around  the  central  scene.  There 
is  something  especially  sweet  and  girlish  in  the 
attitude  of  this  angel  as  she  gazes  so  wistfully  at 
the  scene  below.  She  is  a  real  child  of  the  earth 
but  with  heavenly  longings  that  make  the  short, 
firm  wings  her  rightful  possession.  Although 
da  Forli  is  scarcely  mentioned  in  the  history  of 
art,  his  power  in  foreshortening  alone  places  him 
among  the  great  artists. 

Most  of  the  isolated  pictures  in  Rome  are  well 
known  through  copies,  but  probably  the  most 
familiar  is  Guido  Reni's  "Aurora"  (Fig.  14). 
This  fresco  is  on  the  ceiling  of  one  of  the  rooms 
of  the  Rospigliosi  Palace.  The  colours  in  the 

[23] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

" Aurora"  have  scarcely  grown  a  whit  dim  in 
the  two  centuries  and  a  half  since  Guido  laid 
them.  So  clear  and  pleasing  is  the  harmony 
of  these  colours  and  so  refined  the  graceful  figures 
of  the  dancing  muses  that  one  might  think  Guido 
Reni  a  contemporary  of  Raphael.  Unfortu- 
nately, his  insincerity  of  pose  and  expression 
typify  the  decadence  in  Italy  a  hundred  years 
later.  We  forget  this  insincerity,  however,  in 
our  delight  over  the  dun  horses  against  the  yel- 
low sky,  and  the  exquisite  shading  of  the  god- 
desses' robes  and  the  blue  haze  hovering  over 
the  bit  of  landscape  below. 

Another  painting  of  Guido's  that  is  very  sug- 
gestive of  Raphael's  influence  is  "St.  Michael 
and  the  Dragon,"  in  the  church  of  S.  Maria  dei 
Cappuccini.  The  composition  of  the  subject 
in  the  two  pictures  is  almost  identical.  In  Guido's 
picture  the  Archangel  puts  forth  real  physical 
strength  to  overcome  the  dragon,  but  Raphael's 
"St.  Michael"  triumphed  through  moral  force 
alone  (see  Fig.  92).  The  archangels  of  both 
artists  are  wonderfully  beautiful  in  form  and  fea- 
tures, but  Guido  has  given  to  his  a  touch  of  human 
vanity  quite  unfitting  one  who  is  the  conqueror 
of  the  powers  of  hell  and  the  Angel  of  Death. 
It  was  Michael  the  Archangel,  the  first  and  mighti- 
est of  beings,  that  God  sent  to  expel  Satan  and 
the  fallen  angels  from  heaven.  In  all  represen- 

[24] 


FIG.  13.     Playing  Angel.     Melozzo  da  Forll.   Sacristy  of  St.  Peter's. 


ROME 

tations  of  this  subject  in  art  Satan  is  half  human 
or  dragon-like  in  form  and  St.  Michael,  stand- 
ing with  his  foot  on  the  Evil  One,  holds  a  lance 
or  chain. 

We  will  now  go  to  the  Palazzo  Barberini  and 
look  at  another  very  popular  picture  of  Guido 
Reni's,  the  so-called  "Beatrice  Cenci."  This  por- 
trait has  become  so  firmly  fixed  in  the  minds  of 
picture-lovers  as  the  likeness  of  the  fair  parricide 
a  few  days  before  her  execution,  that  it  is  hard  to 
overcome  that  belief.  But  it  is  now  an  established 
fact  that  Guido  did  not  come  to  Rome  until  after 
her  execution  for  instigating  the  murder  of  her 
father.  Futhermore,  this  painting  is  not  a  por- 
trait at  all,  but  Guido's  idea  of  a  sibyl.  With 
these  facts  in  mind  it  is  easy  to  trace  sibylline  at- 
tributes in  the  far-seeing  expression  of  the  eyes, 
the  classic  folds  of  the  turban  on  the  head,  and 
the  severe  simplicity  of  the  drapery.  As  tradi- 
tion makes  many  of  the  sibyls  not  more  than 
fifteen  years  old,  this  lovely  young  girl  might 
very  well  foretell  the  Nativity  or  the  Massacre 
of  the  Innocents. 

Another  familiar  picture  in  this  gallery  is 
Raphael's  "Fornarina."  Raphael  fell  in  love 
with  this  lady  while  he  was  at  work  in  the  Vatican 
and  although  a  man  of  many  loves  he  remained 
true  to  her  until  his  death.  The  name  "Forna- 
" came  from  the  supposition  that  her  father 
[25] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

was  a  baker  (Jornajo).  She  is  not  beautiful,  as 
we  judge  of  beauty  to-day,  but  the  artist's  own 
words  will  tell  why  he  adored  her,  "Love,  thou 
hast  bound  me  with  the  light  of  thy  two  eyes 
which  torment  me,  with  a  face  like  snow  and 
roses,  with  sweet  words  and  tender  manners." 
No  words  could  describe  the  picture  more  fully. 
The  two  eyes  do  indeed  hold  one  captive,  and  in 
their  unfathomable  depth  lies  the  charm  of  her 
personality.  Raphael  painted  his  lady-love  many 
times. 

In  one  of  the  chapels  of  S.  Trinita  de'  Monte 
is  Volterra's  "Descent  from  the  Cross  "  (Fig.  15). 
It  is  thought  from  the  excellence  of  the  drawing 
and  composition  that  Michael  Angelo  may  have 
assisted  Volterra.  This  is  possible,  for  the 
friendship  that  existed  between  these  two  men 
was  very  close  and  when  Michael  Angelo  was 
nearing  his  end  it  was  Volterra  who  stayed  by 
him  and  finally  closed  his  eyes  in  death.  This 
painting  is  often  compared  with  Rubens'  "De- 
scent "  in  Antwerp  (see  Fig.  89).  Again  we  find 
a  repetition  in  composition,  but  Rubens,  a  hundred 
years  later,  has  far  excelled  in  the  artistic  handling 
of  the  subject.  We  value  Volterra's  "Descent" 
as  his  masterpiece,  but  would  not  class  it  among 
the  ten  great  pictures  as  has  often  been  done. 

Over  the  arch  of  the  entrance  to  the  Chigi  Chapel 
in  the  church  of  S.  Maria  della  Pace,  are  Ra- 
[26] 


FIG.   15.      Descent     from     the     Cross.       Volterra. 
Church  of  Trinity  de'  Monti,    Rome. 


ROME 

phael's  " Sibyls"  (Fig.  16).  So  similar  are  they  in 
conception  to  those  in  the  Sistine  Chapel  that 
Michael  Angelo  remarked  when  he  first  saw 
them,  "He  has  walked  through  my  Chapel." 
Alike,  and  yet  how  different!  Just  compare  the 
"Cumaean  Sibyl,"  at  the  extreme  left  of  the  fresco, 
with  the  older  artist's  Cumaean  Sibyl  (Fig.  2). 
There  is  nothing  of  the  supernatural  about  this 
lovable,  sweetly  human  woman.  With  what  fit- 
ness and  grace  the  figures  are  grouped  in  the  semi- 
circle! There  is  not  the  slightest  intimation  that 
the  artist  was  restricted  but  rather  that  he  planned 
the  architecture  to  suit  his  fresco.  In  fact,  Raphael 
decorated  so  many  of  these  broken  spaces  in 
churches  and  palaces  that  his  peculiar  grouping 
could  be  designated  as  Raphaelesque. 

An  interesting  story  is  told  in  reference  to  this 
painting  of  the  Sibyls.  When  the  fresco  was 
ordered,  500  ducats  was  paid  on  account.  When 
the  work  was  finished  Raphael  asked  for  the 
amount  yet  due  him,  but  Chigi's  cashier  refused 
to  pay.  The  matter  was  referred  to  Michael 
Angelo  and  his  verdict  was  that  each  head  alone  in 
the  fresco  was  worth  100  ducats.  When  Chigi 
heard  this  he  ordered  that  400  ducats  be  paid 
him  at  once  and  advised  his  cashier  that  he  "be 
courteous  with  Raphael  and  satisfy  him  well,  for 
if  he  makes  us  pay  for  the  draperies,  too,  we  shall 
be  ruined!" 

[27] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

We  may  again  see  Raphael  at  his  best  in  "  Gal- 
atea," in  the  Farnesina  Villa,  on  the  Tiber. 
This  fresco  was  painted  entirely  by  Raphael's 
own  hand  in  1415.  In  it  he  has  followed  the  de- 
scription of  the  sea-nymph,  Galatea,  as  given 
by  Philostratus,  the  Greek  sophist  of  the  third 
century  A.D. 

Galatea  was  the  goddess  who,  to  escape  the 
hateful  advances  of  the  monster  Cyclops,  made 
her  home  in  the  depth  of  the  sea.  We  see  her  in 
this  fresco  surrounded  by  admiring  tritons  bear- 
ing sea-nymphs  in  their  arms  and  blithe  little 
cupids  circling  like  birds  with  their  arrows  ever 
ready  for  use.  The  goddess  is  borne  triumphantly 
along  on  a  shell  drawn  by  dolphins  which  she 
gently  guides  with  silken  reins.  Her  purple 
robe  and  golden  hair  flutter  lightly  in  the  wind. 
Her  exquisite  beauty  and  grace  and  the  exu- 
berance of  life  in  her  companions  mark  this  fresco 
as  one  of  Raphael's  finest  efforts  in  the  repro- 
duction of  Greek  mythological  stories. 


[28] 


FLORENCE— UFFIZI 

FLORENCE  is  the  city  of  pictures.  This 
fact  warns  us  that  self-restraint  is  very 
necessary.  One  of  the  greatest  temptations  of 
sightseers  when  in  the  midst  of  a  treasure-house 
of  gems  is  to  include  too  much  at  the  outset. 
Often  you  will  see  systematic  people  begin  at 
the  right  or  the  left  as  they  enter  a  room  and  in- 
spect each  work  in  order.  By  the  time  a  score 
of  pictures  have  been  examined  the  sightseer  has 
lost  all  power  of  discrimination  and  a  Raphael 
masterpiece  receives  no  more  attention  than  a 
Carlo  Dolci  commonplace.  Such  picture-study 
is  absurd. 

Let  us  go  in  the  morning  directly  to  the  Uffizi 
Gallery.  Never  is  the  allurement  greater  to 
look  at  everything  at  once  than  in  this  veritable 
riot  of  colour  and  subject.  We  will  not  stop, 
however,  until  we  come  to  Albertinelli's  "  Salu- 
tation "  (Fig.  17),  the  greatest  example  of  that 
favourite  subject.  The  question  naturally  arises, 
"How  was  it  possible  for  a  man  whose  life  was 
so  full  of  irregularities  to  paint  a  picture  so  full 

[29] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

of  beauty  and  devoutness  ? "  When  once  seen 
this  picture  is  never  forgotten.  One  finds  satis- 
faction in  every  detail.  Look  at  the  exquisitely 
painted  flowers  in  the  foreground,  the  simple 
white  handkerchief  over  the  head  and  shoulders 
of  Elizabeth,  the  ample  folds  of  the  blue  robe 
encircling  the  form  of  the  Virgin,  the  delicate 
tracery  of  the  supporting  pillars  and  the  tiny  bit 
of  hill  country  on  either  side  of  the  arched  por- 
tico. How  simple  are  the  figures  of  Mary  and 
Elizabeth!  The  severely  plain  garments  have 
no  ornaments  to  detract  from  the  symbolic  colours 
of  blue  and  red  for  the  Virgin,  and  green,  yellow, 
and  white  for  the  prospective  mother  of  John 
the  Baptist — heavenly  love  and  creative  power 
in  the  one,  and  hope,  fruitfulness,  and  chastity 
in  the  other.  The  artist  has  well  expressed  the 
submissive  yet  dignified  attitude  of  Elizabeth 
and  Mary's  sweet  acknowledgment  of  the  adora- 
tion of  the  older  woman.  The  power  of  a  mas- 
ter's hand  is  felt  in  this  masterpiece. 

To  fully  appreciate  Albertinelli's  strength  in  this 
picture  one  must  take  into  account  the  wonderful 
influence  exerted  over  him  by  his  Christian  friend, 
Fra  Bartolommeo.  That  sincere  monk,  the  de- 
voted follower  of  Savonarola,  held  the  rollicksome, 
heedless  Albertinelli  within  certain  bounds; 
but  even  his  influence  could  not  keep  the  artist 
from  throwing  off  the  restraints  of  art  for  the 

[30] 


FIG.  17.     The  Visitation.    Albertinelli.    Ufflzi  Gallery,  Florence. 


FIG.  18.     Madonna   of   the    Harpies.      Andrea    del 
Sarto.     Ufflzi  Gallery,   Florence. 


FLORENCE 

free  and  easy  life  of  a  tavern-keeper  at  one  of 
the  gates  of  Florence.  This  erratic  change  in 
his  mode  of  life  did  not  mar  their  friendship, 
however,  for  when  the  end  came  to  the  reckless, 
self-indulgent  Albertinelli,  it  was  the  gentle, 
loving  and  protecting  arms  of  Fra  Bartolommeo 
that  held  him  when  he  breathed  his  last.  Who 
knows  but  what  the  erring  soul  gained  admission 
to  heaven  through  the  prayers  of  his  Christian 
friend  ? 

In  the  "Madonna  of  the  Harpies"  (Fig.  18), 
we  see  Andrea  del  Sarto  at  his  best;  and  yet 
how  that  best  was  marred  by  the  beautiful, 
thoughtless,  selfish  wife  who  was  the  model  of 
this  painting  and  the  idol  of  the  artist's  heart. 
No  one  will  deny  that  nature  gave  to  that  arro- 
gant woman  a  face  almost  divine  in  its  loveliness; 
there  is  little  wonder  then  that  Andrea  saw  in  it 
the  Holy  Mother.  But  even  he  drops  the  eye- 
lids over  the  brilliant  eyes  to  harmonize  the  fault- 
less features  with  the  deep  religious  sentiment 
he  has  breathed  into  the  composition.  The  sweet 
simplicity  of  arrangement  and  the  exquisite  har- 
mony of  colour  have  given  a  dignity  and  religious 
tone  seldom  equalled  in  works  of  art.  Very 
beautifully  the  rich  red  robe  and  tender  blue 
mantle  contrast  with  the  pink  baby  flesh  of  the 
lovely  Child!  and  the  mellow  white  of  the  veil 
against  the  glorious  auburn  hair  of  the  Mother 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

softens  and  purifies  every  feature.  So  like  a  statue 
in  pose  is  this  detail  of  the  Mother  and  Child 
that  it  could  be  reproduced  in  the  purest  Carrara 
marble.  The  "Harpies"  on  the  pedestal  have 
given  the  name  to  the  painting. 

Some  one  in  writing  of  Andrea  del  Sarto  (1486- 
1531)  said  that  he  either  came  too  late  or  too  soon 
to  be  placed  among  the  greatest  artists  of  his 
time.  Is  this  statement  true  or  was  Browning 
right  in  the  words  he  puts  into  the  artist's  own 
mouth  in  the  closing  lines  of  his  poem,  "Andrea 
del  Sarto"?  The  artist  is  pleading  with  his 
wayward,  headstrong  wife,  and,  as  though  sum- 
ming up  the  whole  matter,  says: 

"...  Had  the  mouth  there  urged 
God  and  the  glory!  never  care  for  gain. 

'Live  for  fame,  side  by  side  with  Angelo! 
Raphael  is  waiting:   up  to  God,  all  three! 
I  might  have  done  it  for  you.    So  it  seems: 
Perhaps  not.    All  is  as  God  over-rules.'  " 

No  saint  in  the  calendar  of  the  Roman  Church 
has  a  more  authentic  history  than  St.  Sebastian, 
and  never  has  the  saint  been  more  beautifully 
portrayed  than  by  II  Sodoma  (Fig.  19).  This 
picture  is  not  only  this  artist's  masterpiece,  but 
one  of  the  great  paintings  of  the  world.  The 
classic  beauty  and  noble  bearing  of  the  young 
man  relieve  the  subject  of  all  disagreeable  effects 

[32] 


FLORENCE 

because  of  the  mode  of  his  martyrdom.  Some- 
how the  physical  comeliness  of  the  saint  has  been 
enhanced  by  the  look  of  spiritual  suffering  on 
the  upturned  face.  Every  gallery  in  Europe  has 
a  painting  of  St.  Sebastian,  and  in  most  of  the 
pictures  the  arrows  are  so  much  in  evidence  that 
one's  flesh  shrinks  and  recoils  with  pain  at  the 
thought  of  the  cruel  wounds,  but  II  Sodoma  has 
overcome  the  physical  idea  of  pain  by  captivating 
the  mind  with  beauty  of  form  and  spirit.  What 
a  rare  bit  of  nature-study  is  the  landscape  stretch- 
ing away  in  the  distance,  and  how  fitting  is  the 
classic  ruin  in  the  foreground. 

The  story  of  Sebastian,  who  was  born  of  noble 
parents  in  A.D.  288,  is  the  history  of  the  persecu- 
tion of  the  early  Christians  in  Rome.  He  was  a 
favourite  guard  of  the  Emperor  Diocletian,  but 
when  his  conversion  became  known,  and  no  per- 
suasion could  win  him  from  the  New  Faith,  the 
emperor  ordered  him  put  to  death  by  shooting 
with  arrows.  When  this  torture  failed  to  end 
his  life,  he  was  beaten  to  death  and  his  body 
thrown  into  the  Cloaca  Maxima  (a  deep  aque- 
duct). But  his  faithful  friends  found  the  body 
and  buried  it  tenderly  in  the  Catacombs.  The 
arrow  among  the  heathen  was  an  emblem  of 
pestilence,  so  ever  since  St.  Sebastian's  martyr- 
dom, he  has  been  the  saint  who  could  allay  a 
pestilence. 

[33] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

As  we  turn  to  Botticelli's  "  Coronation  of  the 
Virgin"  (Fig.  20),  we  are  struck  at  once  with  the 
note  of  melancholy  that  pervades  the  picture. 
Here  is  a  new  type  of  Madonna,  thoughtful  and 
sad,  and  at  times  almost  brooding.  She  shows 
none  of  the  joy  of  motherhood,  but  seems  rather 
to  have  a  foreboding  sense  of  coming  suffering. 
She  is  here  represented  as  writing  the  word 
"  Magnificat,"  and  we  fancy  that  we  can  hear 
the  solemn  tones  of  the  organ  mingling  with  the 
angel  voices.  The  innocent,  thoughtful  faces  of 
the  lovely  children  (two  are  said  to  be  the  Medici 
children)  redeem  in  a  measure  the  sad  face  of  the 
Mother.  The  spirit  of  mystery  hovering  over 
the  group  is  intensified  by  the  winding  stream 
gliding  through  the  stretch  of  country;  now  it 
is  visible  in  the  foreground,  then  hidden  by  hill 
and  dale,  only  to  come  to  view  again  in  the  dis- 
tance beyond.  Do  we  not  hear  it  murmur 

"  For  men  may  come  and  men  may  go, 
But  I  go  on  forever/' 

referring  to  the  immortal  Child  in  the  lap  of  the 
Holy  Mother? 

Ruskin  says  of  Botticelli:  "He  was  the  only 
painter  of  Italy  who  understood  the  thoughts  of 
the  heathen  and  Christian  equally,  and  could  in 
a  measure  paint  both  Aphrodite  and  the  Ma- 
donna." Let  us  now  look  at  his  "  Birth  of  Venus," 

[34] 


FIG.  19.     St.  Sebastian.     II  Sodoma.    Ufflzi  Gallery,  Florence. 


FIG.  20.     Coronation  of  the  Virgin.     Botticelli.    Ufflzi  Gallery,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

his  most  celebrated  work  next  to  "Spring,"  in  the 
Academy  (Fig.  30).  Notice  the  sober  tone  of 
the  picture,  the  exquisite  grace  of  the  nude  figure, 
and  the  timid,  bewildered  expression  on  the  newly 
created  goddess.  See  how  lightly  and  softly  the 
breezes  caress  the  shrinking  form  and  play  with 
the  tresses  of  hair  still  damp  from  the  sea's 
embrace. 

The  Uffizi  is  rich  in  masterpieces  from  Botti- 
celli's brush.  Look  at  his  "  Judith  with  the  Head 
of  Holof ernes."  The  dignity  and  grace  of  that 
proud  woman  convince  one  that  she  was  indeed 
the  handmaiden  of  God  to  deliver  the  chosen 
people  from  the  hateful  Babylonian  general. 
Read  the  story  in  the  Apocryphal  book  of  Judith, 
and  notice  how  perfectly  Botticelli  has  understood 
that  historic  incident. 

Another  one  of  his  famous  pictures  is  "Cal- 
umny." The  subject  was  worked  up  from 
Lucian's  description  of  a  celebrated  painting  of 
the  same  subject  by  the  Greek  artist  Apelles. 
The  Greek  painting  grew  out  of  a  trouble  caused 
by  a  jealous  artist  who  slandered  Apelles  and 
turned  his  patron,  King  Ptolemy  of  Egypt, 
against  him,  and  Botticelli's  picture  seems  to 
have  come  from  a  like  reason — he  being  accused 
of  heresy  when  absent  from  Rome.  Calumny 
is  the  female  figure  in  the  middle  of  the  front 
who  is  dragging  a  youth,  Innocence,  by  the  hair 

[35] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

and  presenting  him  to  King  Midas,  the  monarch 
with  the  ass's  ears.  Hypocrisy  and  Treachery 
accompany  Calumny,  and  in  front  of  them  is 
Envy,  a  hideous  man  in  brown.  Suspicion  and 
Ignorance  are  whispering  to  King  Midas,  and  the 
old  hag  at  the  left  is  Falsehood,  the  mother  of 
Calumny.  The  only  attractive  figure  is  naked 
Truth,  a  lovely  young  girl  who  is  appealing  to 
heaven.  When  the  pre-Raphaelite  Brotherhood 
started  in  England  fifty  years  ago,  Botticelli  again 
came  into  his  own  in  the  art  world,  and  his  popu- 
larity continues  to  increase  with  the  passing 
years. 

Vasari  says  of  Raphael's  "  Portrait  of  Julius 
II.,"  "the  sight  of  it  made  one  tremble."  This 
portrait  (Fig.  21)  is  a  replica  from  the  original 
cartoon,  made  with  coal  and  chalk,  now  in  the 
Corsini  Palace,  Florence.  A  replica  of  a  picture 
is  a  second  painting  (sometimes  more)  of  the  same 
subject  by  the  original  painter  and,  of  course, 
may  vary  from  the  first  work,  as  suits  the  artist's 
fancy.  Only  the  original  artist  can  make  a 
replica — other  artists  make  copies.  This  Uffizi 
portrait  is  considered  the  best  of  all  the  likenesses 
of  Julius  II.  Raphael  has  chosen  the  moment 
when  the  old  Pope  was  deep  in  thought,  but  his 
quiet  is  full  of  restless  energy.  The  red  cap  and 
violet  velvet  cape  seem  to  intensify  the  severe 
features  of  the  irascible  old  Pontiff;  see  how  well 

[36] 


FIG.  21.     Pope  Julius  II.    Raphael.      Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence. 


FIG.  22.     Knight  of  Malta.     Giorgione.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

the  rings  on  his  nervous,  expressive  hands  mark 
his  high  office.  Such  a  man  was  indeed  the  match 
of  Michael  Angelo,  but  only  as  Greek  meets 
Greek.  In  the  Pitti  Gallery  is  another  replica 
so  nearly  equal  in  power  to  this  portrait  that  some 
authorities  prefer  it. 

Another  painting  of  Raphael's,  "The  Madonna 
of  the  Goldfinch,"  is  of  peculiar  interest  to  us, 
as  it  marks  the  first  definite  change  of  his  manner 
from  that  of  his  master  Perugino.  The  history 
of  this  picture  is  unusual.  It  was  painted  on 
wood,  for  Lorenzo  Nasi,  in  1507,  as  a  wedding- 
gift  from  Nasi  to  his  bride.  On  August  9,  1548, 
the  house  of  Lorenzo  Nasi,  in  Florence,  was  de- 
stroyed by  the  sinking  of  the  hill  of  San  Giorgio. 
The  "Madonna  of  the  Goldfinch,"  buried  in  the 
ruins,  was  broken  into  many  pieces,  but  Batista, 
the  son  of  Nasi,  pieced  together  the  fragments 
with  so  much  skill  that  the  injury  is  scarcely 
noticeable. 

The  "Knight  of  Malta"  (Fig.  22),  considered 
by  most  critics  to  be  a  genuine  Giorgione,  is  a  fine 
example  of  the  Venetian  school.  Mr.  Timothy 
Cole  in  the  notes  on  his  engraving  of  the  Knight 
says:  "No  artist  knows  better  than  Giorgione 
how  to  captivate  the  mind  and  hold  the  imagi- 
nation with  so  few  means."  How  simple  the 
notes  of  contrast  in  this  masterpiece!  The  cross 
of  Malta  glimmering  on  the  black  overgarment 

[37] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

gives  richness  to  the  material ;  the  dark  chestnut- 
brown  hair  and  beard  heighten  the  purity  of  the 
face,  and  the  olive-wood  beads  strengthen  the 
partly  closed  fingers.  The  softness  and  richness 
of  the  blended  colours  are  due  to  the  skill  of  a  mas- 
ter mind. 

Another  portrait  of  singular  beauty  is  Titian's 
" Flora."  This  lovely  woman  is  supposed  to  be 
the  daughter  of  the  artist  Palma  Vecchio,  and 
tradition  suggests  that  she  was  the  mistress  of 
Titian.  That  story  may  be  truth  or  fiction,  but 
the  picture  itself  testifies  that  we  have  before  us 
one  of  the  loveliest  ideals  of  womanhood.  This 
woman,  far  removed  from  human  frailties,  is  as 
pure  as  a  lily.  No  ornaments  have  been  used  to 
heighten  nature's  handiwork.  The  fair  face  is 
crowned  with  a  wealth  of  golden  hair,  and  the  soft 
outlines  of  the  rounded  neck  and  curving  shoulders, 
revealed  by  the  natural  lowness  of  the  chemise, 
speak  only  of  the  charm  of  a  perfect  woman. 
This  is  one  of  the  daintiest  of  Titian's  creations. 


[38] 


VI 

FLORENCE— PITTI  GALLERY 

WE  can  go  directly  from  the  Uffizi  to  the  Pitti 
Gallery  by  crossing  the  river  Arno  on  the 
Ponte  Vecchio.  This  quaint  old  bridge,  designed 
by  Taddeo  Gaddi  in  the  fourteenth  century,  has 
a  connecting  corridor,  built  on  the  second  story 
by  Vasari  in  1564,  which  unites  the  two  palaces. 
It  is  a  ten  minutes'  walk  from  one  gallery  to  the 
other,  so  if  time  is  very  precious,  the  two  collec- 
tions may  be  seen  in  one  forenoon. 

Of  all  the  masterpieces  in  the  Pitti  Gallery, 
yes,  even  in  the  world,  possibly  the  best  loved 
is  Raphael's  "  Madonna  della  Sedia."  Before 
looking  at  it,  however,  let  us  go  to  Titian's 
"Magdalene"  (Fig.  23),  while  the  Venetian  school 
is  still  fresh  in  our  minds  from  seeing  Giorgione's 
"Knight  of  Malta"  (Fig.  22).  Titian,  in  1531, 
when  fifty-four  years  old,  painted  the  "  Magdalene  " 
for  Francesco  Maria  II.,  the  Duke  of  Urbino. 
The  picture  portrays  a  woman  in  the  full  maturity 
of  a  perfect  physical  development.  The  penitence 
of  the  courted  beauty  is  manifested  only  in  the 
upturned  face  and  dropping  tear.  If  Titian  is 

[39] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

following  the  tradition  that  the  Magdalene,  the 
sister  of  Martha  and  Lazarus,  had  lived,  since 
the  death  of  her  parents,  in  the  world  of  fashion 
and  pleasure,  until  touched  by  the  Saviour's  love, 
then  the  physical  perfection  of  this  handsome 
woman  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  her  past  life. 
Certainly  this  magnificent  specimen  of  mature 
womanhood  exemplifies  in  every  detail  the  results 
of  unceasing  care  of  a  devotee  of  fashion  for  the 
personal  charms.  Flesh,  nails,  eyebrows,  and 
eyelashes  have  been  observed  very  carefully  and 
unceasing  pains  have  been  bestowed  upon  the 
glorious  hair.  Here  is  one  of  the  most  perfect 
examples  of  "Titian  hair" — a  colour  so  like 
strands  of  gold  that  the  sunlight  once  caught  in  its 
meshes  is  held  captive  while  it  sparkles  and 
glistens  from  strand  to  strand.  No  wonder  this 
picture  has  been  reproduced  again  and  again. 

Titian's  "La  Bella,"  in  the  Pitti,  is  another 
likeness  of  the  Duchess  of  Urbino.  It  is  well 
to  compare  this  with  the  portrait  of  her  in  the 
Ufnzi;  and  also  note  how  similar  to  both  of  these 
portraits  is  the  face  of  the  "Venus,"  in  the  same 
gallery. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  "Madonna  della  Sedia," 
or  "Madonna  of  the  Chair,"  as  it  is  more  famil- 
iarly known.  Hawthorne  calls  this  masterpiece 
"The  most  beautiful  picture  in  the  world,  I  am 
convinced."  Never  before  nor  since  has  any  artist 

[40] 


FIG.  23.     Magdalene.    Titian.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence. 


FIG.  24.     Madonna  of  Grand  Duke.    Raphael.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

represented  the  motherhood  of  the  Virgin  so  fully. 
Raphael  seems  to  have  comprehended  the  very 
heart  of  mother-love  in  the  tender  caresses  of 
this  human  mother;  while  the  closely  clinging 
children  appeal  to  us  because  of  their  innocent, 
confiding  dependence!  Most  attractive  is  that 
familiar  old  legend  about  the  origin  of  the  picture. 
We  need  only  the  outline  of  the  story  to  bring  it 
to  mind  again.  Raphael,  it  is  said,  sketched  the 
picture  on  a  barrel  head,  and  the  barrel  was  made 
from  an  old  oak.  This  oak-tree  and  the  mother 
of  these  children  were  called  "daughters"  by 
an  old  hermit  in  the  mountains.  The  hermit 
had  prophesied  that  both  of  his  " daughters" 
would  become  famous  some  day,  and  we  can 
truly  say  that  he  foretold  correctly.  Who  knows 
but  what  Raphael  did  really  see  this  mother  just  at 
nightfall  sitting  by  the  open  window  crooning  over 
her  baby-boy  and  gently  quieting  her  elder  born 
who  had  come  seeking  comfort  after  a  day  of 
restless  play?  The  artist  instinct  would  very 
quickly  see  the  universal  motherhood  in  such  a 
family  group.  Into  the  face  of  the  holy  Mother 
and  divine  Child  he  has  put  a  divinity  that  defies 
description,  but  holds  our  love  and  devotion. 
This  painting,  entirely  by  his  own  hand,  was 
made  for  Pope  Leo  X.,  or  some  of  the  Medici, 
while  he  was  at  work  in  the  Vatican  between 
1510  and  1514.  The  records  prove  that  it  was 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

exhibited  in  the  "Tribuna"  of  the  Uffizi  Gallery 
as  early  as  1589. 

Another  of  Raphael's  Madonnas,  entirely  by 
his  own  hand,  is  "  Madonna  del  Granduca  "  (Fig. 
24).  It  was  painted  in  1504  when  he  went  to 
Florence  for  the  first  time,  just  after  he  left  the 
studio  of  Perugino,  and  was  at  one  time  owned 
by  the  artist  Carlo  Dolci.  Next  we  know  it 
belonged  to  a  poor  widow  who  sold  it,  at  the  end 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  to  a  picture-dealer  for 
about  twenty  dollars.  Still  later  it  again  changed 
hands  and  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany,  Ferdinand  III.,  for  the  mag- 
nificent sum  of  eight  hundred  dollars.  Ferdi- 
nand, who  reigned  from  1781  to  1824,  thought 
so  much  of  the  picture  that  he  always  took  it 
with  him  wherever  he  travelled,  and  the  Grand 
Duchess,  his  wife,  is  said  to  have  offered  prayers 
to  it  when  she  wished  for  the  birth  of  a  son. 

The  purity  and  simplicity  of  this  Madonna 
and  Child  show  Raphael's  deep  religious  feeling 
without  the  least  sign  of  effort.  The  Virgin  has 
the  bashful  timidity  of  one  first  awakened  to 
motherhood,  and  the  Child  looks  straight  at  us 
with  the  wide-open  eyes  of  babyhood.  Both 
are  charming  as  the  expression  of  a  religion  that 
all  can  understand. 

We  must  not  fail  to  look  at  "Pope  Julius  II.," 
as  a  companion  of  the  replica  in  the  Uffizi.  And 

[42] 


FIG.  26.     The  Fates.    Michael  Angelo.    Pitti 
Gallery,  Florence. 


FIG.  27.     The  Concert.    Giorgione.     Pitti  Gallery,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

now  we  will  go  to  "Pope  Leo  X.,"  another  very 
great  example  of  Raphael's  power  in  portraiture. 
The  Pontiff  is  the  principal  figure  in  the  picture 
— on  the  left  is  Cardinal  Giulio  de'  Medici  (after- 
ward Pope  Clement  VII.),  and  on  the  right 
Cardinal  Luigi  de'  Rossi,  the  Pope's  secretary. 
Leo  X.  was  a  man  singular  in  features  and  char- 
acter; his  short-sighted  eyes,  swollen  nose,  puffy 
cheeks  and  chin,  and  protruding  lips  indicate 
an  easy,  soft  good-nature  when  submission  to 
his  will  was  absolute,  but  of  a  cruel,  unreasoning 
temper  when  roused  by  opposition. 

A  curious  story  is  told  of  a  copy  of  this  painting. 
Pope  Clement  VII.  presented  the  original  to  the 
Duke  of  Mantua,  and  told  Ottavio  de'  Medici 
to  deliver  the  picture.  But  Ottavio  was  loath 
to  have  so  precious  a  gem  leave  Florence,  so  de- 
layed sending  the  painting  upon  one  pretext  and 
another.  In  the  mean  time  he  had  a  copy  made 
by  Andrea  del  Sarto  and  when  it  was  finished 
sent  that  to  the  Duke  instead  of  the  original. 
The  deception  was  complete  until  years  afterward 
when  Vasari,  who  knew  about  the  copy,  unde- 
ceived the  Duke  by  showing  him  Andrea  del 
Sarto's  name  under  the  frame  on  the  edge  of  the 
painting.  The  copy  is  now  in  Naples. 

Another  very  popular  picture  in  the  Pitti  is 
Romano's  "Dance  of  the  Muses"  (Fig.  25). 
Romano  was  the  most  celebrated  of  Raphael's 

[43] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

pupils,  but  he  did  not  reflect  the  master's  glory; 
in  fact,  he  was  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the 
Italian  Renaissance.  The  "Dance  of  the  Muses " 
is  full  of  poetic  motion,  as  seen  in  the  rhythm 
and  swing  of  the  circling  muses  as  they  join  hands 
with  Apollo.  The  fluttering  dainty  robes,  and 
the  fair  hair  of  the  lovely  maidens  so  classically 
coiled  about  their  shapely  heads,  are  all  in  full 
harmony  with  the  scene.  Romano  has  also  given 
a  most  pleasing  colour-scheme  in  the  delicate  tints 
against  the  gold  background. 

What  a  strange  contrast,  however,  is  this  poem 
of  motion  to  Michael  Angelo's  " Fates"  (Fig.  26). 
Here  are  dignity  and  self-restraint  in  every  line  of 
the  figures.  And  why  not?  Are  not  these  an- 
cient dames  weaving  the  thread  of  life?  This 
picture  was  probably  painted  by  Rosso,  but  de- 
signed by  Michael  Angelo.  An  interesting  story 
is  told  of  the  origin  of  the  picture.  An  old  woman 
annoyed  the  great  master  during  the  siege  of 
Florence  in  1529,  by  insisting  that  her  son  should 
fight  for  the  city.  Michael  Angelo  had  his  re- 
venge by  using  her  as  the  model  for  all  three 
Fates  and  making  them  witches  instead  of  young 
and  beautiful  girls  as  the  Greeks  had  always 
represented  them.  He  has  given  to  each  figure  the 
symbol  of  her  office  in  weaving  the  web  of  life — 
Clotho  holds  the  spindle,  Lachesis  twists  the  thread, 
and  Atropos  has  the  shears  ready  to  cut  it. 

[44] 


FLORENCE 

Authentic  Giorgiones  are  rare,  but  critics  pro- 
nounce "The  Concert"  (Fig.  27),  in  the  Pitti, 
one  of  his  masterpieces.  The  identity  of  the 
three  men  has  long  been  under  dispute.  Some 
authorities  name  Luther  in  the  centre,  Melanc- 
thon  on  the  left,  and  Calvin  on  the  right.  But 
as  the  first  two  do  not  resemble  other  portraits 
of  them  in  the  Uffizi,  and  also  as  the  artist  died 
when  Calvin  was  only  two  years  old,  this  identity 
does  not  seem  correct  or  indicate  that  the  painting 
is  a  genuine  Giorgione.  It  matters  very  little 
just  who  the  men  were;  the  artist  has  made  them 
men  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word.  The  power 
with  which  those  delicate  fingers  grasp  the  keys 
and  the  keen  sensitiveness  of  the  sharp  features 
show  a  man  of  thought  and  understanding.  Such 
a  man  could  have  resisted  the  authority  of  the 
Pope  even  to  rising  from  his  knees  on  the  Scala 
Santa  and  exclaiming,  "The  just  shall  live  by 
faith." 

Another  group  in  character-study  worthy  of 
our  greatest  admiration  is  Lorenzo  Lotto's  "Three 
Ages  of  Man"  (Fig.  28).  The  influence  of  Gior- 
gione is  largely  in  evidence  in  the  painting,  but 
Lotto  has  preserved  his  own  individuality  in  de- 
lineating personal  traits.  Could  anything  be 
finer  than  the  heedless  look  of  boyhood  so  plainly 
marked  on  the  young  lad's  face?  He  is  giving 
respectful  attention,  but  his  thoughts  are  with 

[45] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

the  game  in  prospect.  The  thoughtful  earnest- 
ness of  the  younger  man  is  not  simply  that  of  a 
teacher  imparting  a  special  lesson,  but  of  one 
seeking  to  awaken  the  thinking-powers  of  his  young 
charge.  The  veteran  at  the  left  has  the  scars 
of  many  battles,  and  his  steady  eye  and  firm 
mouth  tell  of  strength  gained  in  winning  them. 
This  man  lived  and  still  lives;  we  feel  that  he  is 
summing  us  up  as  we.  stand  before  him.  But  it 
is  not  only  in  giving  individual  traits  that  Lotto 
has  excelled  in  this  painting.  Look  at  the  skil- 
ful handling  of  colour  and  the  careful  placing  of 
the  figures.  The  boy's  black  cap  and  hair  are 
in  contrast  to  the  white  beard  and  bronze  flesh 
of  the  old  man,  and  this  sombre  tone  is  again 
offset  by  the  soft,  rich  cardinal  gown  of  the  man 
and  the  purplish  maroon  of  the  boy's  dress. 
Look  at  the  blending  of  the  younger  man's  chest- 
nut-brown hair  with  the  deeper  brown  of  the  back- 
ground, and  note  how  the  flesh  of  that  expressive 
hand  glows  with  health  against  Nature's  own 
green  on  the  overgarment!  The  whole  picture 
is  so  full  of  thought,  simply  expressed,  that  one 
feels  its  influence  without  analysing  its  cause. 

In  Andrea  del  Sarto's  "Holy  Family"  (Fig.  29), 
we  again  see  the  face  of  his  coldly  beautiful  wife. 
But  now  he  has  transformed  it  in  the  simple, 
womanly  mother  sitting  on  the  floor  with  a  darling 
baby-boy  leaning  against  her.  There  is  something 

[46] 


FIG.  28.     Three  Ages  of  Man.      Lorenzo  Lotto.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence. 


FIG.  29.     Holy  Family.    Andrea  del  Sarto.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

winning  about  this  family  group.  The  happy, 
tender  look  of  the  aged  Elizabeth  as  she  supports 
the  little  St.  John  against  her  knees  is  full  of 
proud  motherhood;  how  different  is  her  expres- 
sion of  satisfied  longings  from  the  expression  of 
surprised  wonder  in  the  whole  attitude  of  the 
youthful  Mary.  The  softened  outlines,  deli- 
cately blended  colours,  and  perfect  grouping  make 
this  a  pleasing  and  satisfying  picture.  Andrea 
painted  it  for  Ottavio  de'  Medici  about  1529,  and 
Ottavio  was  so  pleased  with  the  work  that  he 
doubled  the  artist's  price  for  it.  Andrea  was  so 
accurate  in  the  technical  part  of  his  art  that  he 
was  often  called  "Andrea  the  Faultless."  Even 
the  great  Michael  Angelo  wrote  of  him  to  Raphael: 
"There  is  a  little  fellow  in  Florence  who,  if  he 
were  employed  as  you  are  upon  great  works, 
would  make  it  hot  for  you." 


[47] 


VII 

FLORENCE— ACADEMY 

'17I7HILE  the  Academy  in  Florence  is  the  place 
*  *  to  study  the  growth  of  Italian  art,  still  it 
has  a  few  masterpieces  that  even  the  hurried 
sightseer  must  not  omit.  Among  these  is  Botti- 
celli's "Spring"  (Fig.  30).  Unfortunately  we 
do  not  know  the  artist's  interpretation  of  this 
allegory,  but  since  the  picture  was  painted  for 
Cosmo  de'  Medici,  it  is  fairly  certain  that  the  central 
figure,  with  the  white  dress  and  red  drapery,  is 
a  portrait  of  one  of  the  Medici  family,  and  that 
the  other  figures  represent,  allegorically,  various 
virtues  attributed  to  them.  Beginning  "at  the 
extreme  right  of  the  picture,  the  first  figure  may 
be  the  spirit  of  the  wood  or  the  North  Wind; 
he  seems  to  be  retarding  Spring,  who  is  fleeing 
from  the  blast  issuing  from  the  bulging  cheeks. 
The  flowers  dropping  from  the  mouth  of  Spring 
are  falling  on  Flora's  dress  where  they  mingle 
with  a  profusion  of  other  blossoms.  This  figure 
of  Flora  has  often  been  designated  as  "Spring," 
but  that  cannot  be  true,  as  her  flowers  are  mostly 
roses  and  her  decorations  those  of  the  mature 
summer  time.  She  is  the  crowning  glory  of 

[48] 


FIG.  31.     The  Baptism.    Verrocchio.    Academy,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

the  picture.  How  dignified  and  full  of  healthful 
strength  is  her  every  motion!  She  must  represent 
some  very  special  attribute  of  the  great  ruling 
family  of  Florence — possibly  the  awakening  Re- 
naissance. At  least  she  stands  for  the  perfection 
that  comes  after  the  winter's  rest  and  spring's 
rebirth.  The  little  Cupid  above  the  central  figure 
is  the  apex  of  the  composition  and  on  either  side 
are  the  balancing  figures.  It  is  possible  that 
Cupid  stands  for  the  personal  fascination  of  the 
charming  woman  who  is  really  the  principal 
theme  of  the  picture.  The  three  graces  at  the 
left  represent  the  individual  charms  that  Nature 
has  given  her,  and  Mercury,  to  the  left  of  the 
graces,  might  well  indicate  the  marvellous  pros- 
perity of  the  Medici  princes. 

There  is  less  of  that  peculiar  melancholy  in 
this  picture  than  is  usual  in  Botticelli's  paintings. 
In  this  he  has  come  too  close  to  Nature  and  her 
haunts  to  brood  over  man's  shortcomings.  One 
feels  the  breath  of  the  woods  steal  through  those 
straight  trunks  playing  among  the  branches 
and  fluttering  the  loose  robes  and  straying  tresses 
of  the  dancing  figures.  See  how  accurately  he 
has  shown  us  the  flowers  that  bloom  in  the  wood 
and  field;  we  can  readily  distinguish  the  con- 
volvulus that  clambers  over  every  rock  and  fence 
and  the  daisies  that  bloom  at  our  feet.  Such  loving 
thought  for  the  great  out-of-doors  brings  us  very 

[49] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

close  to  the  heart  of  this  Italian  artist  of  the  fif- 
teenth century. 

Verrocchio's  "Baptism"  (Fig.  31)  is  a  picture 
of  peculiar  interest,  for  it  is  the  only  authentic 
example  of  this  artist's  painting  (he  was  a  sculp- 
tor) and  because  his  famous  pupil,  Leonardo  da 
Vinci,  worked  on  it  too.  The  painting  is  of 
unusual  merit  in  its  anatomical  accuracy.  The 
muscles  and  veins  in  the  emaciated  figure  of  St. 
John  are  portrayed  with  a  fidelity  to  nature 
that  shows  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
human  body.  There  is  no  beauty  in  the  gaunt 
figure  of  the  Baptist  nor  in  the  heavier  one  of 
the  Saviour,  but  one  feels  a  reverent  awe  before 
them. 

The  part  of  the  painting  attributed  to  Leo- 
nardo is  the  angel  at  the  left  with  his  back  to  us. 
Both  angels  are  beautiful  in  their  fresh  innocence, 
and  it  is  not  at  all  to  the  discredit  of  the  older 
man  that  his  pupil  painted  one  of  them.  Ver- 
rocchio's  power  as  an  artist  was  so  great  that  even 
the  more  noted  pupil  did  not  detract  from  his 
fame.  The  records  say  that  at  the  time  Leonardo 
entered  his  studio  Verrocchio  was  "then  the  most 
famous  artist  in  Florence."  The  strong,  masterful 
composition  of  the  "Baptism"  is  sufficient  proof 
of  this  statement.  The  arrangement  of  the  pic- 
ture is  unusual,  although  the  subject  was  a  com- 
mon one,  and  has  served  as  a  model  for  many 

[50] 


FIG.  32.    The  Assumption.    Perugino.    Academy,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

later  artists.  Through  one  of  those  strange  lapses 
in  the  whereabouts  of  masterpieces,  this  picture, 
painted  for  the  monks  of  Vallombrosa,  was  for- 
gotten in  their  monastery  until  1812. 

In  the  " Assumption  of  the  Virgin"  (Fig.  32), 
Perugino's  tendency  to  " solitariness"  in  placing 
his  figures  is  most  pronounced.  This  is  especi- 
ally true  of  the  group  of  saints  at  the  bottom  of 
the  picture.  Each  figure  is  so  distinct  in  his 
pose  and  attributes  that  he  could  be  separated 
from  the  others  with  no  loss  of  individual  traits 
or  in  the  interpretation  of  the  composition.  If 
you  will  turn  to  Perugino's  "  Christ  Giving  the 
Keys  to  St.  Peter"  (Fig.  7),  in  the  Sistine  Chapel, 
you  will  see  how  distance  in  the  landscape  is 
intensified  by  the  wide,  open  verandas,  and  now 
in  the  " Assumption"  the  same  is  true  in  the 
glimpses  of  the  far-stretching  country  caught 
through  the  spaces  between  the  solitary  figures. 
We  dislike  the  sentimental  tilt  to  the  head  and 
the  pathetic  expression  in  the  soft  eyes  that  be- 
came a  mannerism  with  Perugino,  yet  he  was  an 
artist  of  ,no  mean  merit.  We  are  bound  to  ac- 
knowledge, after  all  is  said  to  his  credit,  that  as 
the  teacher  of  the  great  master,  Raphael,  he  will 
best  be  known. 

As  we  stop  before  Fra  Filippo  Lippi's  "  Coro- 
nation of  the  Virgin"  (Fig.  33),  the  loveliness  of 
the  picture  captivates  us  at  once.  He  has  given 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

exquisite  quality  to  his  scheme  of  colour  in  the 
glowing  flesh,  fluffy  golden  hair,  and  delicately 
tinted  draperies.  Lippi 's  peculiar  habit  of  paint- 
ing all  his  figures  with  short  necks  sets  us  to 
wondering  if  that  was  the  beauty  charm  of  Lucre- 
tia  Buti,  the  novice  who  stole  his  heart.  At 
least  this  pronounced  physical  feature  is  the  very 
opposite  of  the  long  slender  necks  so  character- 
istic of  the  Byzantine  style.  The  intense  love 
of  a  beautiful  face  led  Lippi  to  choose  his  models 
for  Madonnas  and  saints  from  the  lovely  young 
girls  of  the  period.  But  he  never  deteriorated 
into  the  love  of  beautiful  form  alone,  for  purity 
and  sweetness  are  the  attributes  that  distinguish 
his  women.  Lippi  was  a  monk  from  circum- 
stances, not  from  choice;  hence  the  broken  vows 
of  the  beautiful  Lucretia  and  himself  were  for- 
given by  the  Pope  and  their  marriage  sanctioned. 
Browning's  description  of  the  jolly  monk  in  his 
poem,  "Fra  Filippo  Lippi,"  is  an  amusing  and 
charming  life  of  the  artist. 


[52] 


VIII 

FLORENCE— CHURCHES   AND    PALACES 

TN  Fra  Angelico's  paintings,  the  spiritual  in  art 
•1  reached  its  highest  development.  His  Ma- 
donnas, saints,  and  angels  are  all  from  the  heav- 
enly country  with  no  stains  of  sin  on  their  gar- 
ments and  no  possibility  of  sinning  in  their 
hearts.  To  see  him  at  his  best  we  must  go  to 
San  Marco  where  he  dwelt  with  his  brother 
monks  of  the  Dominican  Order,  and  where  he 
decorated  the  monastery  cells  with  his  brush. 

In  his  own  cell  is  the  " Madonna  of  the  Star" 
(Fig.  34),  a  painting  so  full  of  spiritual  fervour  that 
one  can  well  believe  it  was  painted  under  the  direct 
inspiration  of  prayer.  There  is  no  form  under  the 
ample  blue  robe  of  the  Madonna,  and  no  soft, 
plump  body  of  babyhood  in  the  divine  Child,  but 
the  tender  caress  of  the  mother  and  the  sweet 
nestling  of  the  little  one  speak  directly  to  the  heart. 
Fra  Angelico  continued  to  use  the  gold  back- 
ground, and  long,  slender  figures  of  the  East, 
but  he  put  into  the  formless  figures  the  spirit  of 
humanity  that  came  from  his  own  great  love  of 
mankind.  He  did  not  advance  the  art  of  paint- 

[53] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

ing  over  Giotto,  a  hundred  years  before,  but  he 
did  advance  the  Christian  religion  with  his  art. 

Over  the  entrance  door  to  the  hospital  for  way- 
farers in  San  Marco,  is  "  Christ  as  a  Pilgrim 
Welcomed  by  Two  Dominican  Monks,"  or 
"Christ  on  His  Way  to  Emmaus"  (Fig.  35). 
This  picture  is  a  most  impressive  "Welcome," 
inviting  all  into  the  presence  of  the  Master. 
The  Christ  is  very  human  in  his  attitude  of  will- 
ingness to  be  entertained  by  these  Preaching 
Friars;  he  wears  the  short  rough  garment  of 
the  pilgrim  while  his  companions  have  the  usual 
white  robes  and  outer  black  cloak  of  the  Order. 
Again,  the  form  of  the  figures  counts  for  nothing, 
but  the  spirit  of  true  sincere  piety  breathes  from 
every  line.  This  is  one  of  Fra  Angelico's  finest 
frescos  (the  "Madonna  of  the  Star"  is  painted 
on  wood).  As  we  go  from  cell  to  cell  in  this 
old  monastery  of  the  Dominicans  and  look  at 
the  simple  scenes  so  full  of  spiritual  truths  painted 
on  the  walls  of  each,  we  do  not  wonder  that  the 
artist's  companions  called  him  "Angel  Brother." 

This  monastery  of  San  Marco  is  doubly 
dear  to  us,  for  here  Savonarola  had  his  cells, 
and  on  the  wall  of  one  of  them  is  his  portrait 
attributed  to  his  devoted  disciple,  Fra  Bartolom- 
meo  (Fig.  36).  That  strong,  homely  face  so 
stamps  itself  upon  our  memory  that  we  can  never 
forget  it.  We  are  glad  to  believe  that  Fra  Bar- 

[54] 


FIG.  34.     Madonna  of  the  Star.     Fra  Angelico.     San  Marco,  Florence. 


FIG.  35.      Christ  and  Disciples.      Fra  Angelico.    San  Marco,   Florence. 


FIG.  36.     Savonarola.     Fra  Bartolommeo.     San  Marco,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

tolommeo  painted  this  face,  for  who  else  could 
have  portrayed  so  lovingly  the  rugged  features 
of  the  great  reformer!  No  wonder  that  this  man, 
Savonarola,  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and 
was  able  to  refuse  the  magnificent  Lorenzo  absolu- 
tion, even  if  he  was  a  Medici. 

Now  we  will  go  to  the  Riccardi  Palace  where 
the  great  Lorenzo  de'  Medici  was  born.  Here 
is  the  marvellous  Medici  Chapel  decorated  by 
Benozzo  Gozzoli.  Wonderful  in  colour  and  ar- 
rangement is  the  fresco  of  the  "  Journey  of  the 
Magi,"  that  covers  its  walls.  Even  the  "Angel" 
detail  (Fig.  37)  gives  us  a  little  idea  of  the  gor- 
geousness  of  the  whole.  The  title  of  the  fresco 
is  a  misnomer,  for  the  real  subject  is  a  Florentine 
pageant  in  which  are  represented  portraits  of 
members  of  the  leading  families  of  the  city. 
The  chapel  probably  had  no  window  when  it 
was  decorated,  but  the  door  must  have  been  in 
place,  for  the  artist  has  painted  one  of  the  horses 
with  the  forepart  on  one  side  of  the  door  jamb  and 
the  hindpart  on  the  other.  The  angels  are  beau- 
tiful young  girls,  but  they  have  none  of  the  heav- 
enly sweetness  of  those  of  the  "Angel  Brother." 
Benozzo  shows  considerable  skill  as  an  animal- 
painter.  His  horses  are  imposing,  high-stepping 
fellows,  well  fitted  to  the  proud  bearing  of  their 
riders.  Many  princes  of  the  Medici  family  can 
be  singled  out  of  the  procession  as  it  winds  down 

[55] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

the  mountain  side.  The  meeting-point  was  at 
the  manger,  the  part  that  was  removed  when  the 
window  was  inserted.  The  ingenuity  and  skill 
with  which  the  artist  has  varied  the  company  in 
its  onward  march  towards  the  goal  give  us  keen 
pleasure  as  we  follow  the  various  groups. 

Another  artist  of  the  fifteenth  century  whose 
tendency  was  to  make  his  religious  pictures  a 
Florentine  portrait  gallery,  is  Ghirlandajo.  We 
will  go  to  Santa  Maria  Novella  to  see  in  the  Choir 
his  series  of  frescos  of  New  Testament  scenes. 
True,  these  paintings  are  not  all  attractive  as 
decorative  pictures,  according  to  our  ideas  to- 
day, but  it  is  a  good  plan  for  us  to  see  what  the 
people  of  that  time  liked  for  decoration.  And 
really,  as  we  look  at  some  of  the  details — "The 
Salutation  of  the  Virgin  and  Elizabeth,"  for 
instance, — we  are  bound  to  be  interested  in  those 
stately  and  dignified  women  in  the  foreground 
and  in  the  city  stretching  away  in  the  distance. 
It  is  said  of  Ghirlandajo  that  his  sense  of  por- 
traiture was  so  pronounced  that  sitting  by  the 
window  he  would  sketch  with  accuracy  some  per- 
sonal feature  of  the  passer-by  so  that  none  could 
mistake  the  person.  This  talent  was  highly 
appreciated  by  the  Florentines.  They  wanted 
their  portraits  painted,  and  here  was  a  man  ready 
to  satisfy  them.  Look  particularly  at  the  tall, 
straight  dame  at  the  right  of  the  saluting  group. 

[56] 


o 


FLORENCE 

She  is  the  celebrated  beauty,  Ginevra  de'  Benci, 
one  of  the  Medici  and  Sassetti  families.  Her 
rich  gold-brocaded  dress  impresses  us  a  little  as 
hanging  from  "  clothes-pegs,"  as  Ruskin  says, 
nevertheless  we  feel  that  a  peculiar  and  intimate 
personality  clings  to  her. 

In  the  Spanish  Chapel  of  this  same  church  is 
the  famous  fresco  of  " Religion  and  Philosophy" 
(Fig.  38).  In  the  upper  part  of  the  painting  sits 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas  with  the  angel  virtues  cir- 
cling around  him.  At  his  right  and  left  are  the 
prophets  and  saints,  while  the  overthrown  heretics 
are  fallen  prostrate  at  his  feet.  Below  in  the 
niches,  Philosophy  is  personified  by  fourteen 
women — seven  stand  for  sacred  and  seven  for 
the  natural  sciences.  At  the  feet  of  each  woman 
is  the  representative  of  her  special  science:  thus, 
Astronomy  has  Zoroaster;  Geometry,  Euclid; 
Logic,  Aristotle;  and  Music,  Tubal-Cain.  In 
the  latter  the  figure  of  Music  is  particularly  fine. 
This  fresco  is  attributed  to  Taddeo  Gaddi,  yet 
he  may  have  only  designed  it,  and  left  the  exe- 
cution to  Simone  Memmi  and  others.  We  are 
convinced  that  whoever  planned  the  theme  was 
thoroughly  conversant  with  church  doctrines  and 
the  scientific  development  of  the  time. 

Very  often  there  are  isolated  pictures  that  it  is  not 
wise  to  overlook  even  if  the  time  is  limited.  One  of 
these  is  Andrea  del  Sarto's  "Last  Supper,"  in  the 
[57] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO   SEE 

refectory,  or  dining-room,  of  the  old  monastery  of 
San  Salvi  (Fig.  39).  Lanzi  says  of  the  soldiers 
who  besieged  Florence  in  1529,  that  "after  demol- 
ishing the  belfry,  the  church,  and  part  of  the 
monastery  (of  San  Salvi),  they  were  astonished 
on  beholding  this  'Last  Supper/  and  had  no 
resolution  to  destroy  it";  others  believe  that 
Michael  Angelo  saved  the  fresco  when  he  had 
charge  of  the  fortification  of  the  city. 

In  this  fresco  Andrea  has  just  missed  the  highest 
conception  of  the  "Last  Supper,"  but  he  can  be 
forgiven  as  it  is  Leonardo  da  Vinci  who  alone 
excels  him.  As  we  enter  the  long  room  where  the 
fresco  is  painted,  the  scene  at  the  other  end  is 
almost  startling  in  its  realism.  Nothing  could 
be  finer  than  the  grouping  of  the  figures,  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  draperies,  the  disposal  of  lights 
and  shadows,  and  the  soft,  beautiful  colours.  It 
is  when  we  look  for  the  intense  religious  feeling 
that  characterises  each  disciple  in  Leonardo's 
"Last  Supper"  (Fig.  53),  that  we  recognise  the 
weakness  of  "Andrea  the  Faultless."  There  are 
dignity  and  decorum  in  the  men  gathered  around 
that  table,  but  depth  of  conviction  is  lacking. 

It  would  scarcely  be  wise  to  visit  Florence  and 
not  see  "Dante's  Portrait,"  in  the  National  Mu- 
seum of  the  Bargello  (Fig.  40).  The  fresco  in 
which  it  is  found  was  painted  by  Giotto  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  fourteenth  century.  Shortly  afterward 

[58] 


FIG.  40.     Dante.     Giotto.    Bargello,  Florence. 


FLORENCE 

the  chapel  was  changed  into  a  two-story  building 
by  a  dividing  floor  and  ceiling.  The  whole  was 
whitewashed  and  the  upper  part  used  as  a  prison. 
For  centuries  the  frescos  were  hidden,  but  in  1840, 
through  the  efforts  of  an  English  artist  and  one  of 
our  own  countrymen,  the  chapel  was  reclaimed 
and  the  frescos  again  brought  to  light.  The 
portrait  of  Dante  in  the  "Paradise,"  on  the  south 
wall,  may  have  been  made  from  life  as  the  poet 
and  artist  were  warm  friends;  at  any  rate  it 
corresponds  to  the  mask  that  has  been  recognised 
by  artists  for  ages  as  Dante's.  Do  not  fail  to 
ask  the  custodian  of  the  Museum  for  "Dante's 
Portrait,"  or  you  may  miss  it  in  the  multitude 
of  treasures  in  the  Bargello. 


[59] 


IX 

VENICE— ACADEMY 

HHHE  first  picture  that  arrests  the  attention 
•*•  upon  entering  the  Academy,  Venice,  is 
Titian's  "Assumption  of  the  Virgin"  (Fig.  41), 
one  of  the  six  great  pictures  of  the  world.  The 
sensation  produced  on  one  by  this  marvel  of  sim- 
plicity and  skill  is  indescribable.  A  master  of 
unquestioned  power  has  brought  forth  that  glo- 
rious colour,  harmony  of  composition,  rapture  of 
sentiment,  and  withal  restraint  in  handling.  At 
first  the  feeling  of  awe  inspired  by  the  picture 
takeri  as  a  whole  overpowers  the  appreciation 
of  its  detailed  parts.  The  eye  simply  follows 
unconsciously  the  centralising  tendency  that  cul- 
minates in  the  Virgin.  There  seems  to  be  no 
means  used  in  leading  the  mind  to  contemplate 
the  central  thought.  But  if  we  study  the  up- 
lifted faces  and  hands  of  the  apostles,  the  clouds 
and  angels  circling  toward  the  Virgin,  and  the 
downward  gaze  of  the  Father,  as  He  waits  in  the 
sky  to  receive  the  Heavenly  Queen,  some  of  the 
artist's  secrets  are  revealed.  Not  a  line  is  omitted 
in  welding  each  detail  into  a  perfect  whole.  Look 

[60] 


FIG.  41.     The  Assumption.     Titian.     Academy,  Venice. 


FIG.  42.     Presentation  in  the  Temple.    Titian.    Academy,  Venice. 


FIG.  43.   Supper  in  the  House  of  Simon  the  Pharisee.    Veronese.    Academy,   Venice. 


VENICE 

at  the  strength  and  intense  feeling  of  those  aston- 
ished apostles.  The  figures  are  so  individual 
that  a  character-study  could  be  made  of  each  man; 
yet  they  are  subordinate  to  the  main  theme  and 
detract  nothing  from  it.  How  sweetly  human 
are  the  baby  cherubs!  One  could  smother  them 
with  kisses  save  for  the  fact  that  their  office  as 
heavenly  attendants  claims  them.  The  fore- 
shortening of  this  multitude  of  children  is  the  more 
marvellous  because  the  pose  of  each  figure  is  so 
natural  and  childlike. 

Possibly  it  is  well  to  go  hence  directly  to  Titian's 
"Presentation  in  the  Temple"  (Fig.  42),  even 
though  it  is  several  rooms  away.  Titian  has 
never  surpassed  this  picture  in  thought  and 
feeling,  brush  work,  technical  skill,  and  colour 
secret.  The  subject  deals  with  sacred  persons 
but  it  is  not  a  religious  picture.  He  represents 
the  presentation  of  the  little  Virgin  as  described 
in  "Mary,"  a  book  of  the  Apocrypha.  The  story 
says  that  when  the  Virgin  Mary  was  three  years 
old  her  parents,  Joachim  and  Anna,  brought  her 
to  the  temple  of  the  Lord  with  offerings.  "The 
temple  being  built  in  a  mountain,  the  altar  of 
burnt-offering,  which  was  without,  could  not  be 
come  near  but  by  stairs  (fifteen  in  number).  The 
parents  of  the  blessed  Virgin  and  infant  Mary 
put  her  upon  one  of  these  stairs; — the  Virgin  of 
the  Lord  in  such  a  manner  went  up  all  the  stairs 
[61] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

one  after  another,  without  the  help  of  any  to  lead 
or  lift  her  that  any  one  would  have  judged  from 
hence  that  she  was  of  perfect  age." 

The  picture,  painted  in  fresco,  is  on  a  wall 
parallel  to  a  flight  of  entrance  steps,  thereby  giv- 
ing us  the  impression  that  we  have  come  from  the 
temple  where  the  little  Virgin  is  going.  The  scene 
is  entirely  Venetian  in  people  and  architecture, 
yet  there  is  perfect  harmony  between  setting  and 
subject.  The  hill  country  in  the  distance  is  prob- 
ably an  idealised  bit  of  Cadore  landscape  near  the 
artist's  native  place.  The  old  woman  sitting  by 
the  steps  with  her  basket  of  eggs,  and  the  child 
and  dog  in  the  middle  foreground  also  serve  to 
give  a  natural  and  human  touch  to  the  scene. 

Another  picture  with  Venetian  setting  is  Vero- 
nese's "Supper  in  the  House  of  Simon  the  Phari- 
see" (Fig.  43).  The  painting  was  made  for  the 
refectory  of  a  Dominican  monastery,  Venice, 
where  it  filled  one  end  of  the  long  dining-room 
and  seemed  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  real  tables 
of  the  monks.  What  a  princely  banqueting- 
chamber  such  over-hanging  arches,  marble  bal- 
ustrades, and  faultless  perspective  would  make 
of  the  plainest  eating-hall!  Veronese  painted 
several  of  these  biblical  banquets  where  the  scene 
formed  an  integrant  of  the  whole  room.  This 
picture  glows  with  colour  and  light  and  is  full  of 
human  interest,  but  there  is  little  of  the  spiritual 
[62] 


VENICE 

• 

element;  in  fact,  Veronese  was  so  fond  of  adding 
animals  and  grotesque  accessories  that  the  In- 
quisition considered  him  sacrilegious  and  ordered 
him  to  erase  them.  The  artist  defended  himself 
by  saying  they  were  used  simply  as  spots  of  colour 
and  he  left  in  a  sufficient  number  to  show  his 
tendency  in  that  direction. 

We  would  not  appreciate  the  full  glory  of  Vene- 
tian art  were  we  to  omit  Giovanni  Bellini,  yet 
his  " Madonna  and  Child  with  two  Saints"  (Fig. 
44)  has  not  the  grandeur  of  composition  of  the 
later  school.  It  was  in  Giovanni,  however,  that  the 
young  Titian,  his  pupil,  found  a  sympathiser  in 
his  love  for  colour.  Bellini  originated  a  type  of 
Madonna  so  individual  that  once  seen  there  is 
no  mistaking  who  painted  her.  Although  rather 
conventional  she  is  human  and  her  divine  Child 
is  a  real  baby.  Her  sad  face  is  not  morbid,  but 
is  rather  the  expression  of  one  who  accepts  sor- 
row without  complaint.  She  has  a  certain  beauty 
of  girlhood,  softened  and  deepened  as  by  an  inner 
consciousness  of  coming  trials. 

In  the  painting  of  "Christ  and  the  Adulteress " 
(Fig.  45),  we  have  one  of  Tintoretto's  best  works. 
So  prodigal  of  his  art  was  this  artist  that  it  is 
said  of  his  pictures,  "They  are  fairly  rotting  on 
the  walls  of  Venice  to-day. "  He  was  ready  to 
paint  classic  myth  and  sacred  story  and  in  each 
he  put  the  people  of  Venice  as  he  saw  them.  The 

[63] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

" Adulteress"  is  a  typical  voluptuous  woman  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  yet  by  placing  her  in  a 
biblical  setting  with  Christ  as  her  judge,  he  has 
softened  the  purely  physical  beauty  of  form  and 
given  her  a  subtle  charm  impossible  to  resist. 
The  artist  has  skilfully  avoided  a  sense  of  crowd- 
ing by  giving  a  touch  of  vulgar  curiosity  to  the 
people  gathering  to  see  an  offender  brought  to 
"justice."  That  Tintoretto  knew  humanity  is 
plainly  shown  in  the  eager  faces  of  the  accusers. 
The  colours  are  warm  and  rich,  and  the  contrast 
of  lights  and  shadows  on  the  faces  and  garments 
is  wonderful. 

Let  us  look  at  Moretto's  interpretation  of  the 
"Supper  in  the  House  of  Simon"  (Fig.  46),  as 
compared  with  Veronese's.  Moretto  came  from 
Venetian  territory  but  he  probably  never  went  to 
Venice.  Yet  his  keen  sense  of  proportion  and 
perspective,  and  his  sensitive  insight  into  charac- 
ter, gave  him  an  equal  standing  with  those  great 
masters  of  the  Queen  City. 

In  this  picture  he  has  chosen  the  simple  story 
of  Christ  and  the  woman  as  told  in  St.  Luke  7  :  36. 
Simon  has  been  complaining  within  himself,  "This 
man,  if  he  were  a  prophet,  would  have  known  who 
and  what  manner  of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth 
him:  for  she  is  a  sinner."  The  moment  caught 
in  the  picture  seems  to  be  the  instant  when  Jesus 
has  finished  the  story  of  the  two  debtors  and  has 
[64] 


FIG.  44.     The  Madonna  ana  Child.    Bellini.     Academy, 
Venice. 


FIG.  45.     The  Adulteress.     Tintoretto.     Academy,  Florence. 


ikt« 'Iliir   :  ^|felly  & 

flu!1  ..rSM 


FIG.  46.     Supper  in  the  House  of 

Simon.     Moretto.    Academy, 

Venice. 


FIG.   47.     St.   Ursula  and  her  Father.   Car- 
paccio.    Academy,  Venice. 


VENICE 

pointed  to  the  woman,  saying,  "Simon,  seeth 
thou  this  woman?"  Moretto's  manner  of  telling 
the  story  is  dignified  and  masterly.  Nothing 
is  lacking  in  the  technic  of  the  composition;  the 
balance  in  arrangement  is  excellent,  the  contrast 
in  light  and  shade  good,  and  the  colour  rich  and 
harmonious,  with  that  "silvery"  quality  so  pe- 
culiarly his.  Then,  too,  his  delineation  of  the 
emotions  of  the  various  actors  in  the  drama  is 
marvellously  true  to  life.  There  is  Simon  stern 
and  unyielding,  the  servant  curious  and  inter- 
ested, the  woman  grief -stricken  and  unworthy, 
while  the  Saviour,  mindful  of  the  needs  of  each 
heart,  is  benignly  sympathetic  in  his  appeal  and 
desire  to  pardon. 

The  series  of  pictures  by  Carpaccio  tells  the 
story  of  St.  Ursula.  Carpaccio  loved  to  tell  a 
story  and  he  could  do  it  well.  Legend  says  that 
St.  Ursula  was  a  Breton  maiden  of  royal  Chris- 
tian parents — beautiful,  wise,  and  very  devout. 
When  she  was  sought  in  marriage  by  the  young 
prince  of  England,  she  asked  of  him  three  things. 
First,  she  must  have  ten  noble  maidens  as  her  com- 
panions and  each  one  must  have  a  thousand  virgin 
attendants;  second,  she  must  have  three  years 
to  visit  holy  shrines;  third,  the  prince  and  his 
followers  must  be  baptised.  The  requests  were 
granted,  so  the  story  runs,  but  sad  to  relate, 
St.  Ursula  and  her  eleven  thousand  maidens  were 

[65] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

massacred  at  Cologne,  and  to-day  in  that  city 
their  bones  are  preserved  in  a  chapel  of  the  church 
of  St.  Ursula.  This  is  the  quaintest  and  most 
improbable  of  the  early  church  stories,  but  it  is 
fascinating  in  its  very  naivete.  Two  artists  of 
about  the  same  period  have  interpreted  the  story 
for  us:  Hans  Memlinc,  in  Belgium,  and  Car- 
paccio,  in  Venice.  The  illustration  (Fig.  47) 
shows  St.  Ursula  relating  her  dream  to  her  father 
and  urging  him  to  let  her  carry  out  her  pilgrimage. 
This  picture  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  the  costumes 
and  home  decorations  of  the  artist's  time.  St. 
Ursula  is  the  patron  saint  of  young  girls  and  of 
all  women  who  educate  and  care  for  girls. 

If  we  were  taking  up  the  Venetian  artists  in 
the  Academy  chronologically,  we  would  begin 
with  the  Bellinis,  then  Carpaccio,  and  on  to  Titian. 
Veronese  and  Tintoretto  came  a  little  later  and 
as  friends  were  often  together. 


[66] 


X 

VENICE— CHURCHES  AND  PALACES 

IN  the  Artillerist's  Chapel  of  the  church  of 
Santa  Maria  Formosa,  Venice,  is  Palma 
Vecchio's  masterpiece,  "St.  Barbara"  (Fig.  48). 
St.  Barbara  is  the  patroness  of  soldiers,  and  in 
this  picture  Palma  has  given  her  all  the  courage 
and  patriotism  that  stand  for  a  true  warrior. 
As  a  maiden  of  noble  birth  the  artist  knew  just 
how  to  enhance  her  inheritance  with  garments 
suitable  in  colour  and  material.  The  soft  brown 
underdress  falling  to  her  shapely  feet  is  deepened 
in  tone  by  the  rich  red  robe  thrown  lightly  over 
arms  and  knee.  The  glistening  crown  on  the 
auburn  hair  denotes  her  exalted  position,  and 
the  white  scarf  knotted  in  her  hair  and  gleaming 
on  the  warm  flesh  of  neck  and  shoulders  marks 
her  as  a  conqueror  through  faith. 

St.  Barbara,  born  A.D.  303,  was  the  daughter  of 
an  Eastern  nobleman.  She  was  so  beautiful, 
and  so  dear  to  her  fond  father  that  he  shut  her 
up  in  a  tower  where  she  spent  her  time  studying  the 
stars  and  heavenly  bodies.  At  length  she  became 
convinced  that  the  worship  of  idols  was  wrong, 

[67] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

When,  in  the  course  of  time,  she  heard  of  the 
Saviour,  she  became  converted,  and  to  acknowl- 
edge her  faith  ordered  the  attendant  workmen 
to  make  three  windows  in  her  tower.  When  her 
father  came  for  his  accustomed  visit  she  replied 
to  his  question  concerning  the  windows:  "Know, 
my  father,  that  through  three  windows  doth  the 
soul  receive  light— the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost;  and  the  three  are  one."  The  angry 
father  condemned  her  to  death  and  finally  be- 
headed her  himself.  While  legend  has  filled  gaps 
in  this  story  the  main  part  is  history.  St.  Barbara 
is  always  represented  with  a  tower  as  one  of  her 
attributes. 

The  walls  of  the  Doges'  Palace  form  a  vast 
picture  gallery  of  fresco  paintings,  but  the  real 
gems  are  in  the  Anticollegio,  or  waiting-room, 
where  are  four  paintings  by  Tintoretto.  Although 
this  artist  has  covered  hundreds,  yes  thousands, 
of  square  feet  in  this  palace,  yet  none  of  the 
pictures  hold  us  as  these  in  the  waiting-room, 
He  has  here  entered  so  completely  into  the  spirit 
of  the  classic  myths  that  he  compels  us  to  follow 
him  into  that  immortal  world.  As  we  look  at 
" Minerva  Driving  Away  Mars"  (Fig.  49),  we 
actually  feel  the  push  of  the  dainty  hand  against 
the  intruding  god.  Certainly  the  god  of  war 
has  no  right  in  this  sacred  grove,  even  though  he 
be  in  love  with  Venus.  Never  before  had  human 
[68] 


FIG.  48.    St.  Barbara.    Palma  Vecchio.  Church 
of  Santa  Maria     Formosa,  Venice. 


FIG.  49.      Minerva.      Tintoretto.      Doge's    Palace,  Venice. 


VENICE 

flesh  been  transferred  to  canvas  while  still  glow- 
ing with  warmth  and  palpitating  with  life  as  in 
these  pictures.  We  fairly  draw  long  breaths  of 
delight,  unmindful  that  it  is  art  and  not  life  that 
has  charmed  us.  In  the  "Marriage  of  Bacchus 
and  Ariadne,"  Tintoretto  has  reached  the  climax— 
the  picture  is  beautiful  in  the  superlative  degree. 
Ariadne  has  been  left  desolate  on  the  Island  of 
Naxos,  where  Theseus,  who  abducted  her,  has 
abandoned  her.  Bacchus  sees  and  loves  her,  and 
comes  up  from  the  sea  offering  her  the  marriage 
ring.  Venus  descends  from  the  blue  sky  and 
crowns  her  with  a  circlet  of  stars.  One  must 
really  see  this  quartet  of  glory  to  understand  the 
possibilities  of  the  painter's  art. 

While  under  the  influence  of  Tintoretto  let  us 
cross  the  Piazzetta  to  the  Old  Library  and  look 
at  two  of  his  large  frescos.  The  one  that  repre- 
sents the  " Miracle  of  St.  Mark"  (Fig.  50)  is 
often  called  the  "  Miracle  of  Tintoretto,"  so  auda- 
cious its  conception.  The  colour  is  a  riot  of  rain- 
bow tints  with  a  golden-yellow  atmosphere  filling 
the  middle  "as  if  a  topaz  had  burst  there."  The 
legend  explaining  the  scene  says  that  a  certain 
Christian  slave  serving  a  pagan  nobleman  dis- 
obeyed his  master  by  continuing  to  worship  at 
the  shrine  of  St.  Mark.  Having  been  condemned 
to  torture  and  death  in  the  public  square,  the 
multitude  were  dumbfounded  to  see  St.  Mark 
[69] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

himself  coming  from  the  heavens  to  the  slave's 
assistance.  The  bonds  broke  asunder  and  the 
instruments  of  torture  dropped  to  pieces.  The 
exquisite  delineation  of  facial  expression  in  the 
astonished  crowd  of  people  is  alone  sufficient  to 
raise  the  painting  to  its  exalted  place  among 
masterpieces.  Another  one  of  these  frescos  of 
equal  merit — they  were  all  painted  by  Tintoretto 
for  the  Scuola  di  San  Marco,  Venice — is  in  the 
Brera,  Milan. 

We  again  see  this  great  master  in  profusion 
in  the  church  of  Madonna  delP  Orto,  where  he 
is  buried,  but  the  principal  picture  for  us  to  see 
here  is  Cima's  "St.  John  the  Baptist  and  Four 
Saints"  (Fig.  51).  Cima,  a  direct  follower  of 
Bellini,  shows  in  this  picture  the  early  and  effec- 
tive use  of  high  arches  to  frame  and  separate 
the  distant  landscape  from  the  figures  in  the  front. 
He  has  not  reached  the  artistic  excellence  of 
Veronese  in  this  direction,  as  shown  in  the  lat- 
ter's  "Feast  of  Simon"  (Fig.  43),  yet  his  perspec- 
tive is  good  and  his  originality  of  arrangement 
decidedly  in  advance  of  his  contemporaries.  The 
detail  work  on  the  capitals  and  the  drawing  of  the 
old  tree  with  its  scraggly  branches  are  both  nat- 
ural and  artistic.  The  four  saints  with  the 
Baptist  are  SS.  Peter  and  Mark  on  the  left  and 
SS.  Paul  and  Jerome  on  the  right. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  churches 

[70] 


FIG.    51.     St.    John   the   Baptist    and   Other   Saints.       Cima. 
Madonna  dell'  Orto,  Venice 


FIG.  52.     Madonna  of  the  Pesaro  Family.    Titian.    Church  of 
Santa  Maria  del  Frari,   Venice 


VENICE 

in  Venice — the  Frari — has  Titian's  wonderful 
masterpiece,  "The  Madonna  of  the  Pesaro  Fam- 
ily" (Fig.  52).  This  picture  raised  the  artist 
to  the  position  of  dictator  in  the  art  world.  In  it 
he  perfected  the  combination  of  grand  architec- 
ture with  the  simple  devotional  spirit  of  a  grateful 
family.  The  secret  of  this  achievement  is  sim- 
plicity. Those  marvellous  columns  soaring  into 
the  very  clouds  are  as  severe  in  structure  as 
snow-clad  mountains  seen  from  a  distant  plain. 
The  throne  of  the  Virgin  at  the  entrance  to  the 
spacious  temple  is  without  a  single  ornament 
save  the  neutral-tinted  rug  hanging  from  it  in 
straight  lines  to  the  steps  below.  The  colour  of 
the  garments  is  mostly  a  harmony  of  reds  carried 
from  side  to  side  with  consummate  skill.'  The 
rich  blue  of  the  underdresses  of  the  Virgin  and 
St.  Peter  serve  as  a  connecting  link  with  the 
tender  blue  of  the  Venetian  sky,  seen  through  the 
soaring  pillars.  The  composition  is  unique  in 
arrangement,  yet  the  unusual  position  of  the 
Virgin  and  Child  is  so  perfectly  balanced  by  the 
standard  of  the  church  that  one  scarcely  notes 
the  reason  for  the  change.  Since  this  is  a  pre- 
sentation picture  in  which  Jacopo  Pesaro,  Bishop 
of  Paphos,  is  offering  thanksgiving  for  victory, 
it  is  only  natural  that  other  members  of  the  Pesaro 
family  should  be  present.  At  the  foot  of  the  throne 
kneels  Jacopo  with  clasped  hands  raised  to  the 

[71] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

Virgin  who  bends  gently  toward  him,  between 
them  is  St.  Peter  who  has  turned  from  his  reading 
to  look  at  the  kneeling  bishop.  At  the  left  of  the 
picture  kneel  Benedetto  Pesaro  and  his  family. 
The  childlike  glee  of  the  infant  Christ,  as  he 
pulls  at  the  white  veil  of  his  Virgin  Mother  and 
kicks  happily  at  St.  Francis,  is  very  human  and 
natural.  The  two  cherubs  bearing  the  cross  on 
the  floating  cloud  aboVe  seem  to  have  drifted 
into  the  portico  of  the  temple  to  linger  only  for 
a  moment. 


[72] 


XI 

MILAN—CHURCHES  AND  BRERA 
GALLERY 

PROBABLY  no  picture  in  all  the  world  is 
so  well  known  as  Leonardo  da  Vinci's 
"Last  Supper"  (Fig.  53).  It  is  painted  on  the 
end  wall  of  the  refectory  of  the  old  Dominican 
monastery  of  Santa  Maria  delle  Grazia,  Milan. 
Ruined  as  the  picture  stands  to-day,  it  is  still 
the  most  stupendous  monument  of  that  Blessed 
Scene  ever  conceived  by  the  mind  of  man.  When 
Professor  Cavenaghi  carefully  restored  the  fresco 
in  1908,  he  brought  to  light  several  important 
facts.  First,  Leonardo  did  not  use  oil  paints  on 
plaster,  as  has  been  supposed,  but  water  colours, 
probably  experimenting  with  this  medium,  for 
deterioration  began  shortly  after  the  picture  was 
finished.  Second,  the  early  restorers  have  left 
untouched  the  heads  and  hands  of  the  figures, 
excepting  the  head  of  the  apostle  Philip — the 
third  to  the  Saviour's  left,  so,  though  dim  and 
marred,  they  are  the  master's  own  work.  Third, 
the  work  done  by  the  early  restorers  was  excellent. 
As  we  study  the  grand  personality  of  the  apostles 

[73] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

I  shall  quote  what  has  already  been  written  in 
my  book,  "Pictures  and  their  Painters."  Pos- 
sibly Christ  has  just  uttered  the  words:  "One  of 
you  shall  betray  me."  Beginning  on  the  left  of 
the  fresco,  Bartholomew  has  just  risen  from  the 
table  in  consternation;  next  to  him  James  (the 
less),  with  his  hand  on  Peter's  arm,  is  mildly 
inquiring;  Andrew  with  uplifted  hands  exhibits 
astonishment;  then  Peter,  eagerly  leaning  toward 
St.  John,  with  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  expresses 
suppressed  excitement;  in  front  of  Peter,  leaning 
on  the  table  with  the  bag  clutched  in  one  hand 
and  the  other  stretched  out  toward  the  Master, 
is  the  traitor  Judas,  his  whole  manner  full  of 
opposition;  John  with  downcast  eyes  and  folded 
hands  waits  with  perfect  confidence;  on  the  right 
of  the  Saviour,  James  (the  greater)  with  arms  out- 
stretched shows  distress  and  dismay;  back  of 
James  is  Thomas  with  uplifted  finger  ready  for 
aggressive  action;  Philip,  rising  with  his  hand 
on  his  heart,  looks  worried  and  troubled;  next 
to  him  is  the  elegant  Matthew,  his  arms  pointing 
toward  the  Saviour,  while  he  turns  to  the  other 
disciples  with  a  look  of  questioning  wonder; 
Thaddeus  with  one  hand  uplifted  has  a  face  full 
of  horror;  and  Simon  spreads  his  hands  out  with 
stern  disapproval. 

The  photographs  of  the  "Last  Supper"  best 
known  to  us  are  taken  from  an  engraving  made 
[74] 


FTG.  53.     The  Last  Supper.     Leonardo  da  Vinci.    Santa  Maria  delle  Grazie, 


FIG.    54. 


Head   of    Christ.      Leonardo   da  VincL 
Brera  Gallery,  Milan. 


FIG.  55.     Marriage  of  the  Virgin.     Raphael.    Brera  Gallery,  Milan. 


MILAN 

by  Raphael  Morghen,  an  Italian,  during  the  last 
of  the  eighteenth  century  before  the  awful  havoc 
made  on  the  fresco  by  the  French  soldiers  at  the 
time  Napoleon  invaded  Italy. 

Leonardo  was  the  first  artist  to  place  all  the 
apostles  on  one  side  of  the  table,  the  previous 
custom  being  to  put  Judas  opposite  the  others;  and 
no  one  ever  before  made  such  a  character-study 
of  the  apostles.  So  careful  was  Leonardo  that 
only  after  the  closest  study  of  the  individual  men 
did  he  conceive  and  portray  in  head  and  hands 
the  personality  of  each  apostle.  The  story  is 
told  that  after  two  years'  work  on  the  fresco  there 
were  still  two  heads  to  paint — Christ  and  Judas. 
Month  after  month  passed  and  the  picture  was 
not  finished,  and  the  monks  were  becoming  im- 
patient. The  prior,  greatly  vexed,  protested  again 
and  again,  and  finally  the  annoyed  artist  calmly 
said  to  him,  "If  you  will  sit  for  the  head  of  Judas, 
I'll  be  able  to  finish  the  picture  at  once." 

Dr.  Muther  says:  "As  a  pictorial  achievement 
— in  the  manner  in  which  the  figures  softly  dis- 
solved in  space  and  the  light  streamed  through 
the  window  into  the  half-darkened  hall — the 
'Last  Supper'  must  have  been  a  revelation,  al- 
though at  the  present  time  this  can  no  longer  be 
seen,  but  only  felt." 

Leonardo's  "Head  of  Christ"  (Fig.  54),  in  the 
Brera  Gallery,  was  the  model  for  the  Master  in 
[75] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

the  supper  group.  It  was  only  after  weeks  of 
thought  that  he  sketched  this  marvellous  head,  and 
even  then  the  eyes  so  baffled  him  that  he  dropped 
the  lids,  adding  an  almost  superhuman  glory  to 
the  beautiful  face.  There  is  plainly  little  doubt 
but  what  Leonardo  painted  the  head  of  Christ 
in  the  large  fresco  very  hastily.  It  certainly  lacks 
the  tenderness  and  pathos  of  the  precious  model 
sketch.  The  latter,  with  Raphael's  Christ  in  the 
"Transfiguration"  (Fig.  n),  and  Michael  An- 
gelo's  Christ  in  the  "Last  Judgment"  (Fig.  5),  are 
considered  the  great  portraits  of  the  Saviour,  but 
of  the  three,  Leonardo's  Christ  comes  the  nearest  to 
our  hearts.  Here  is  the  human  Jesus  who  ate 
and  talked  and  worked  with  his  disciples. 

Raphael's  "Marriage  of  the  Virgin"  (Fig.  55), 
in  the  Brera,  is  particularly  interesting  as  one 
of  the  first  examples  of  his  work.  He  was  still 
in  his  teens  and  doubtless  as  yet  a  pupil  in  Peru- 
gino's  studio.  The  picture  shows  the  influence 
of  the  master  especially  in  the  tilt  of  the  heads  and 
the  rather  insipid  sweetness  of  the  faces.  We 
also  recognise  the  similarity  of  arrangement  to 
Perugino's  "Giving  Keys  to  St.  Peter"  (Fig.  7),  in 
the  Sistine  Chapel,  but  how  different  the  contin- 
uity and  balance  of  the  composition.  Here  is 
no  visible  effort  at  space-filling  or  placing  of  the 
figures.  The  crowd  in  the  foreground  is  a  natural 
gathering  of  wedding-guests  to  witness  the  be- 

[76] 


MILAN 

trothal  of  loved  ones.  Raphael  indicates  very 
simply  the  old  legend  of  the  trial  of  the  suitors 
by  means  of  the  budded  rod  held  by  Joseph  and 
the  impatient  breaking  of  the  wand  by  the  dis- 
appointed lover. 

The  spaciousness  of  the  middle  distance  throws 
the  classic  temple  in  bold  relief  against  the  blue 
sky,  adding  greatly  to  the  largeness  and  depth 
of  the  scene.  The  pyramidal  placing  of  figures  and 
objects  seems  to  have  been  instinctive  with  Ra- 
phael, for  from  the  beginning  it  characterised 
the  pictorial  balance  of  his  works. 

In  the  fresco  of  "Finding  the  Body  of  St.  Mark," 
now  in  the  Brera  Gallery,  Tintoretto  has  por- 
trayed another  of  the  numerous  legends  from  the 
life  and  death  of  the  saint.  This  is  a  companion 
picture  to  those  in  the  Old  Library  at  Venice. 
For  twelve  years,  it  is  said,  St.  Mark  preached 
in  Egypt  and  finally  founded  a  church  in  Alex- 
andria. But  the  heathen,  believing  him  a  magi- 
cian because  of  his  miracle-working  powers, 
bound  him  at  the  feast  of  their  god  Serapis  and 
dragged  him  through  the  streets  of  the  city  until 
he  died,  and  immediately  the  murderers  were 
destroyed  by  lightning.  The  mangled  body  of 
the  saint  was  buried  by  devout  Christians  of 
Alexandria,  and  for  eight  centuries  his  tomb  was 
held  sacred.  In  A.D.  815  some  Venetian  mer- 
chants stole  the  body  away  and  carried  it  to  Venice 

[77] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

where  the  cathedral  of  St.  Mark's  was  built  for 
his  tomb. 

Tintoretto's  conception  of  the  scene  of  finding 
the  body  of  the  saint  is  original  and  his  interpre- 
tation of  the  event  singular.  The  picture  is  keyed 
in  a  low  tone;  the  upper  part  is  a  cool  blue- 
grey,  and  the  lower  part  soft,  rich  golden-brown. 
The  long  barrel-vaulted  corridor  seems  to  be  a 
mausoleum  with  a  series  of  sarcophagi,  raised 
about  eight  feet  from  the  ground,  extending  along 
the  right  side.  The  figure  at  the  left,  dressed  in 
a  blue  underdress  and  a  rather  bright  red  cloak, 
is  St.  Mark  himself  with  a  halo  around  his  head. 
His  presence  makes  possible  the  identification 
of  the  body,  but  no  surprise  is  evinced  at  his 
presence  there  in  person.  At  the  right,  opposite 
the  saint,  is  a  demoniac  clinging  to  a  woman. 
The  evil  spirit  is  fleeing  from  his  mouth  in  the 
form  of  smoke.  The  man  who  is  holding  the 
demented  one  may  possibly  have  been  one  of 
the  dead  bodies  restored  to  life  by  St.  Mark. 
The  body  on  the  floor  may  be  intended  to  replace 
that  of  the  saint  which  the  men  are  lowering  from 
above — at  least,  the  startled  look  of  the  woman 
and  the  gesture  of  the  standing  saint  lead  one  to 
think  so.  We  do  not  know  just  what  legend  Tin- 
toretto had  in  mind  in  this  strange  composition, 
but  we  do  know  that  he  has  made  a  wonderful 
picture  of  the  scene. 

[78] 


XII 

MUNICH— GALLERIES 

TN  the  Old  Pinakothek,  Munich,  are  Murillo's 
•*•  masterpieces,  a  series  of  "Beggar  Boys." 
The  picture  representing  the  "Melon  Eaters " 
(Fig.  56)  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of  those  genre 
scenes.  He  has  here  portrayed  the  happy-go- 
lucky  little  vagrants  that  swarm  in  every  city  the 
world  over,  with  such  an  intimate  understanding 
of  their  haunts  and  habits  that  no  one  can  fail 
to  recognise  them.  Picturesque  and  charming 
they  certainly  are,  although  perfectly  irresponsible 
and  unmanageable.  What  a  delight  such  pic- 
tures are  to  the  boy  in  the  home!  Murillo 
thoroughly  comprehended  the  bohemian  spirit 
that  lurks  in  the  heart  of  every  boy.  And  why 
shouldn't  he?  As  a  young  artist  he  was  so  poor 
that  to  eke  out  a  bare  existence  he  painted  rough 
colour  sketches  as  he  stood  in  the  market  places. 
Where  could  he  have  learned  the  ways  of  the 
street  Arab  more  accurately  than  among  the 
stalls  of  the  vendors  of  foodstuffs?  He  has  held 
up  the  mirror  to  Nature  just  as  he  found  her,  and 
has  given  vivid  pictures  of  her  children  with  no 

[79] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

exaggeration  or  pettiness.  If  Murillo  had  only 
devoted  his  talents  to  picturing  the  every-day  street 
life  of  the  Spaniard  he  would  have  equalled  Vel- 
asquez, his  countryman,  in  portraiture,  and  would 
have  immortalized  the  " people"  as  the  older  artist 
did  the  " court."  These  four  pictures  revealing 
child-life  in  the  market  place  have  never  been 
surpassed  as  character-studies  of  what  in  New 
York  would  be  called  the  " East-side"  child 
population. 

It  is  interesting  to  turn  next  to  the  "Portrait 
of  Velasquez"  (Fig.  57),  by  himself,  because  he 
was  not  only  Murillo's  teacher,  but  he,  too,  was 
born  at  Seville,  though  twenty  years  earlier. 
After  Murillo  had  scraped  together  enough  to 
undertake  the  journey,  he  walked  over  the  moun- 
tains from  his  native  town  to  Madrid  and  entered 
Velasquez's  studio  as  a  pupil.  Although  he  had 
planned  to  go  on  to  Italy  later,  he  was  so  pleased 
with  what  Velasquez  taught  him  that  he  went 
no  further  to  develop  his  talents.  He  also  had 
access  to  the  art  collection  in  Madrid  that  his 
countryman  had  gathered  in  Italy  at  the  command 
of  Philip  IV. 

As  we  look  into  this  powerful  face  of  Velasquez 
we  are  not  surprised  that  the  younger  artist  felt 
the  strong  personality  and  wonderful  gifts  of  the 
great  master.  The  pity  is  that  the  lessons  learned 
did  not  take  deeper  root  and  prove  of  more  lasting 

[so] 


FIG.  56.    The  Melon  Eaters.  Murillo.    Old  Pinakothek, 
Munich. 


FIG.  57      Portrait  of  Velasquez.     Velasquez.     Old  Einakothek,  Munich, 


MUNICH 

benefit.  Velasquez  was  a  law  unto  himself  in 
his  art,  and  no  command  by  the  church  or  threat 
of  the  fickle  King  Philip  could  intimidate  him. 
Every  feature  of  that  speaking  face  stamps  him 
as  a  leader  of  men,  and  a  leader,  too,  who  could 
speak  the  truth. 

It  is  in  this  gallery  that  we  find  Diirer's  last  and 
possibly  greatest  work,  two  panel  pictures  rep- 
resenting four  of  the  apostles — "St.  Peter  and 
St.  John,"  "St.  Paul  and  St.  Mark"  (Fig.  58). 
He  painted  the  panels  for  his  native  city,  Nurem- 
berg. We  have  his  own  words  as  to  their  merit 
in  the  presentation  note  to  the  city  council:  "I 
have  just  painted  panels  upon  which  I  have  be- 
stowed more  trouble  than  on  any  other  painting; 
I  consider  none  more  worthy  to  keep  them  as  a 
reminiscence  than  your  Wisdom.  Therefore  I 
present  them  to  your  Wisdom  with  the  humble 
and  urgent  prayer  that  you  will  favourably  and 
graciously  receive  them."  It  is  always  satis- 
factory to  have  an  artist's  opinion  of  his  own  work, 
especially  of  masters  whose  works  have  become 
masterpieces. 

Diirer  has  shown  a  breadth  of  treatment  in 
these  panels  which  has  refuted  forever  the  charge 
that  he  could  paint  only  with  a  "one-hair"  brush. 
Notice  particularly  the  ample  folds  of  St.  Paul's 
white  robe.  It  is  plain  even  to  severity,  yet  how 
well  it  accords  with  the  noble  figure  of  the  great 
[Si] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

apostle.  In  colour,  in  drawing,  and  in  composi- 
tion Diirer  has  here  reached  the  zenith  of  the  art 
of  painting.  For  a  hundred  years  Nuremberg 
prized  this  present  from  her  gifted  son,  and  then 
to  her  shame  sold  the  precious  treasures  to  Ba- 
varia and  replaced  them  with  copies. 

Few  tourists  going  from  Munich  to  Dresden 
fail  to  stop  at  the  quaint  old  town  of  Nuremberg 
to  see  the  still  quainter  old  house  where  Diirer 
was  born.  Here  also  is  a  priceless  collection 
of  the  artist's  engravings  and  woodcuts — he  made 
no  less  than  forty-eight  of  the  former  and  over 
one  hundred  of  the  latter.  If  we  accept  Diirer's 
own  statement,  made  after  he  had  finished  one 
of  his  most  famous  paintings,  that  "henceforth 
he  should  stick  to  his  engraving,  else  he  would 
become  a  beggar,"  we  realise  what  that  copper- 
plate work  meant  to  him.  It  is  true  that,  won- 
derful though  many  of  his  paintings  are,  yet  a 
dozen  artists  surpassed  him;  but  where  in  all 
the  realm  of  art  is  there  a  man  whose  workman- 
ship could  equal  his  copperplates  of  "  Melan- 
cholia," "St.  Jerome  in  His  Study,"  and  "The 
Horseman ' '  (Frontispiece)  ?  As  an  engraver  Diirer 
stood  on  the  heights  alone. 

Just  what  the  artist  meant  by  "The  Knight, 
Death  and  the  Devil,"  we  probably  never  shall 
know,  but  his  own  simple  title  of  the  plate,  "The 
Horseman,"  points  to  the  knight's  journey  as  that 

[82] 


FIG.  58.     St.   Paul   and     St.  Mark. 
Old  Pinakothek,  Munich. 


Diirer. 


FIG.  59.     Portrait  of  Bismarck.    Lenbach.    Lenbach's  House,  Munich. 


MUNICH 

of  "  Everyman  "  passing  through  this  world.  As  he 
pushes  on  unmindful  or  disdainful  of  his  com- 
panions— Death  and  the  Devil — he  may  typify  the 
Christian  who  has  put  the  Devil  behind  him  and 
who  knows  that  in  the  end  "  Death  is  swallowed 
up  in  victory."  The  attitude  of  this  Christian 
warrior  is  of  one  having  on  the  whole  armour  of 
God  riding  forth  to  fight  the  good  fight. 

There  is  a  large  collection  of  Rubens'  paintings 
in  the  Old  Pinakothek.  Possibly  the  most  noted 
is  "The  Battle  of  the  Amazons  at  the  Bridge  of 
Thermodon."  This  battle-piece  stands  as  a 
parallel  in  excellence  to  the  "  Battle  of  Constan- 
tine,"  designed  by  Raphael  for  his  Stanza  in  the 
Vatican.  In  one  particular  it  has  an  advantage 
over  the  work  of  the  Italian  artist,  for  here  Rubens 
has  the  contrast  of  men  and  women  warriors. 
The  execution  of  the  painting  is  in  the  artist's 
most  careful  manner,  and  the  colour  has  a  certain 
restraint  pleasing  to  the  eye.  The  concentration 
of  interest  in  the  middle  foreground,  where  the 
fighting  is  on  the  bridge  and  in  the  water,  is  a 
masterly  conception.  To  handle  so  congested  a 
point  as  the  meeting  of  hostile  forces  on  a  narrow 
bridge  required  the  greatest  technical  skill.  Ac- 
tivity of  men,  women,  and  horses  was  never  ex- 
pressed more  marvellously  than  in  this  writhing, 
seething  mass  of  life.  Surely  the  Amazon  women 
under  Rubens'  brush  have  become  not  only 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

living  realities  but  most  formidable  rivals  in  battle. 
The  Greek  story  says  that  the  Amazons  were 
women  of  Africa  of  warlike  character  whose 
name  signifies  "  without  breasts,"  for  in  early 
girlhood  the  right  breast  was  singed  off  that  they 
might  better  draw  the  bow. 

No  one  must  think  of  leaving  Munich  without 
going  to  Lenbach's  studio,  not  only  to  see  the 
workshop  where  the  "Portrait  of  Bismarck'' 
(Fig.  59)  was  painted,  but  to  view  the  famous 
painting  itself.  If  Lenbach  had  executed  no  other 
portrait  than  this  one  of  the  Iron  Chancellor  his 
name  would  have  been  established  as  an  artist. 
His  "  Bismarck,"  like  Stuart's  "  Washington," 
will  stand  to  posterity  as  the  true  likeness  of  the 
great  chief.  So  clear  was  Lenbach's  insight  of 
the  hidden  workings  of  the  mind  that  he  has 
given  us  the  very  character  of  this  "Man  of  Blood 
and  Iron."  Every  line  depicting  the  square 
shoulders,  massive  head,  firm  jaw,  and  flashing 
eyes  tells  of  the  diplomat  who  ruled  Germany  and 
shook  the  world.  True  portraits  keep  alive  the 
personality  of  strong  characters  and,  like  written 
words,  exert  as  powerful  an  influence  upon  thought- 
ful observers  as  on  thoughtful  readers. 


[84] 


XIII 

DRESDEN— ROYAL  GALLERY 

IN  a  special  cabinet  of  the  Royal  Gallery, 
•*•  Dresden,  is  Raphael's  last  and  greatest  pic- 
ture, the  Holy  Mother  and  Divine  Child— "  The 
Sistine  Madonna "  (Fig.  60).  The  inscription, 
by  Vasari,  on  the  lower  part  of  the  support  reads: 
"For  the  Black  Monks  of  San  Sisto  in  Piacenza, 
Raphael  painted  a  picture  for  the  high  altar,  show- 
ing our  Lady  with  St.  Sixtus  and  St.  Barbara — 
truly  a  work  most  excellent  and  rare."  Volumes 
have  been  written  describing  the  spiritual  element 
in  this  picture,  yet  after  all  has  been  said,  nothing 
but  seeing  it  conveys  to  the  mind  and  heart  the 
wonderful  influence  it  exerts.  As  we  sit  in  the 
silent  room  and  allow  the  sublimity  of  the  picture 
to  possess  our  very  souls,  we  are  conscious  that 
the  great  master  painter  was  inspired  of  God 
when  he  portrayed  that  Mother  and  Child.  No 
analysis  of  the  means  used  to  create  this  master- 
piece can  explain  why  it  so  affects  the  heart. 
We  may  point  out  that  the  width  between  the 
eyes  gives  spiritual  insight,  and  descent  from  the 
clouds,  divine  mystery,  but  we  are  only  trying  to 


WHAT  PICTURES  TD  SEE 

reason  out  what  can  not  be  understood  except 
through  the  spirit  of  worship.  This  reverence, 
moreover,  is  not  for  the  picture  before  us,  but  for 
the  divinity  that  made  possible  the  coming  of 
the  Holy  Child.  The  Virgin  represents  spiritual 
motherhood  and,  unlike  the  Madonna  of  the  Chair 
whose  left  arm  clasps  the  human  Baby  to  her 
heart,  she  holds  her  Child  in  wondering  inno- 
cence, awed  that  she — blessed  of  women — was 
the  mother  of  the  Redeemer.  Were  it  not  for 
the  angel-faces  peeping  at  us  from  below  that 
heavenly  vision,  those  searching  eyes  of  Mother 
and  Child,  which  seem  to  look  into  the  inmost 
soul,  would  be  almost  overpowering.  The  uni- 
versal appeal  of  this  picture  is  one  of  the  strongest 
proofs  of  its  greatness.  No  one  enters  that  little 
cabinet  without  feeling  the  influence  of  its  pres- 
ence. Professor  and  illiterate,  sage  and  rustic, 
cynic  and  believer,  all  bow  in  reverence  before 
this  masterpiece,  seeming  to  realise  intuitively 
that  the  painter  thereof  was  divinely  inspired  by 
the  Great  Master. 

Coming  from  the  room  of  the  "Sistine  Ma- 
donna," we  stop  next  before  Correggio's  "Holy 
Night"  (Fig.  61),  a  picture  in  which  he  has  shown 
the  greatest  originality  in  the  handling  of  light 
and  shade.  Here  we  have  a  vivid  reproduction 
of  the  scene  of  the  Saviour's  birth  as  described  in 
the  Apocryphal  Gospel,  "The  Protelvangeion " : 
[86] 


FIG.  60.     The  Sistine  Madonna.     Raphael.     Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


FIG.  61.     The  Holy  Night.     Correggio.     Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


DRESDEN 

"But  on  a  sudden  the  cloud  became  a  great  light 
in  the  cave,  so  that  their  eyes  could  not  bear  it. 
But  the  light  gradually  decreased  until  the  Infant 
appeared."  There  is  little  of  the  spiritual  ele- 
ment in  the  picture,  but  it  overflows  with  the 
pure  love  of  living.  The  Mother  leaning  over 
the  human  Baby  is  full  of  tender  love;  the  face 
of  the  comely  peasant  maiden  beams  with  joy; 
the  shepherd  and  the  lad  have  come  to  worship 
with  gladness  in  their  hearts;  and  the  angels  are 
singing  glad  tidings.  The  effulgence  streaming 
from  the  Child  illuminates  and  purifies  every 
object  it  touches.  All  nature  rejoices;  the  dog 
with  lifted  head  is  an  interested  witness  of  the 
scene;  the  lowly  flowers  spread  out  their  leaves 
as  they  blossorh  profusely;  the  morning  light 
just  appearing  above  the  hilltops  comes  as  though 
to  add  its  homage  to  the  New-born  King. 

Correggio  was  not  a  deep  thinker,  but  he  charms 
us  with  his  love  of  light.  Look  at  his  "Madonna 
and  St.  Francis,"  in  the  same  room,  painted  for 
the  monks  of  the  Franciscan  Order  of  the  town 
of  Correggio  when  he  was  only  twenty.  The 
artist's  affection  for  pure  beauty  for  beauty's 
sake  was  never  more  striking  than  in  this  exqui- 
site gem.  Perhaps  the  tender  glance  of  the  Virgin 
toward  the  young  and  handsome  St.  Francis, 
who  has  so  recently  become  a  monk,  savours  of 
coquetry,  as  some  have  thought,  but  the  devoted 

[87] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO   SEE 

submission  of  the  saint  and  the  timid  blessing  of 
the  Holy  Mother  are  certainly  charming  and 
human.  The  picture  itself  has  a  curious  history. 
Correggio  painted  it  in  five  months  during  1515. 
It  was  placed  in  the  monastery  and  kept  in  its 
original  position  for  over  a  hundred  years,  then 
in  March,  1638,  a  French  painter,  Jean  Boulanger, 
who  was  in  the  service  of  the  Duke  of  Modena, 
came  to  Correggio  to  copy  the  famous  Madonna. 
He  worked  on  a  scaffold  behind  the  high  altar, 
made  a  hasty  copy  of  the  picture,  and  departed. 
In  a  few  days  it  was  discovered  that  he  had  carried 
off  the  original  and  left  his  copy  in  its  place. 
Although  every  effort  was  made  to  reclaim  the 
painting  it  could  not  be  obtained.  The  original 
was  later  sold  to  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  and  in  1746 
was  taken  to  Dresden. 

The  Royal  Gallery  is  a  good  place  to  study  the 
development  of  Correggio 's  art  career  from  the 
"Madonna  of  St.  Francis'7  period  when  he  was 
twenty,  through  the  "Madonna  St.  Roch  and  St. 
Sebastian,"  to  the  "Holy  Night,"  painted  just 
before  his  death  at  forty.  In  the  Louvre,  Paris, 
we  will  see  another  of  his  most  joyous  religious 
pictures,  "The  Marriage  of  St.  Catherine" 

(Fig.  93). 

Titian's  "Tribute  Money"  (Fig.  62)  is  unique 
in  that  it  shows  the  wonderful  versatility  of  the 
master.     Taunted  on  his  lack  of  "finish"  by  some 
[88] 


FIG.  62.     The  Tribute  Money.     Titian.     Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


FIG.  63.     The  Meyer  Madonna.     Holbein.    Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


DRESDEN 

Germans  who  visited  his  studio,  he  replied  that 
finish  was  not  the  end  and  aim  of  art.  To  prove 
conclusively,  however,  that  he  could  count  each 
hair  and  show  the  threads  in  the  weave,  he  painted 
this  picture.  For  four  centuries  the  "  Tribute 
Money"  has  stood  as  an  example  of  finish  and 
broad  handling,  a  composition  both  detailed  and 
free.  Titian  could  scarcely  have  chosen  two  men 
of  wider  difference  than  the  Saviour  and  the  Phari- 
see. The  contrast  in  the  two  hands  alone  is  a 
sufficient  characterisation ;  one  the  vulgar,  grasp- 
ing hand  thrust  eagerly  forward  to  prove  his 
point,  and  the  other  the  firm,  impelling,  yet  gentle 
and  reasoning  hand  emphasising  the  question 
"Whose  is  this  image  and  superscription?" 
With  what  calm  power  Christ  has  compelled  the 
confident  tax-gatherer  to  testify  against  himself 
as  he  answers  " Caesar's."  On  the  one  face  is 
divine  strength  of  purpose;  on  the  other,  greedy 
avarice  seeking  to  ensnare.  The  ensemble  of 
the  composition  shows  a  wide  understanding  of 
technical  breadth,  yet  the  hairs  of  the  head  and 
beard  are  so  differentiated  that  a  breath  would 
lift  them  from  brow  and  neck. 

For  fifty  years,  from  1822  to  1871,  the  authori- 
ties of  Dresden  and  Darmstadt  both  claimed  the 
original  of  Holbein's  "  Meyer  Madonna"  (Fig.  63). 
In  the  latter  year,  at  an  exhibition  of  Holbein's 
paintings  in  Dresden,  the  two  pictures  were  placed 

[89] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

side  by  side  and  the  controversy  was  settled  in 
favor  of  the  Darmstadt  painting  as  the  original. 
The  Dresden  picture  was  pronounced  "a  free 
copy  by  some  unknown  artist."  Holbein  painted 
the  original  in  1526,  before  he  was  thirty  years 
old,  for  Burgomaster  Jacob  Meyer  of  Basle. 
This  masterpiece  is  so  full  of  religious  fervour  that 
it  alone  has  placed  Holbein  beside  the  great  Italian 
painters  of  the  church.  Jean  Rousseau  says, 
"Raphael  is  the  immortal  painter  of  Madonnas; 
Holbein  painted  but  one,  but  that  one  is  worthy 
to  be  compared  to  the  Sistine  Madonna."  There 
is  a  dignity  and  sincerity  about  the  grateful  family 
as  they  kneel  before  the  Blessed  Mother  that 
appeals  directly  to  the  heart.  Even  placing  the 
deceased  first  wife  in  grave-clothes  by  the  side  of 
the  living  one,  quaint  and  gruesome  as  it  is,  does 
not  mar  the  true  spirit  of  thankfulness  that  breathes 
from  every  member  of  the  kneeling  family.  Opin- 
ions differ  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  story,  but  the 
natural  interpretation  of  such  a  thank-offering  pic- 
ture would  be  that  the  little  Christ  Child  has  taken 
the  sickness  from  the  human  child  in  answer  to 
the  pleadings  of  the  Burgomaster's  household.  Yet 
Ruskin  believed  that  the  Virgin  came  in  answer 
to  their  prayers  and  changed  the  baby  Jesus  for 
the  sick  child.  As  the  baby  in  the  arms  of  the 
Holy  Mother  shows  no  signs  of  illness  except  in 
the  expression  of  distress  on  the  face,  it  may  be 

[90] 


DRESDEN 

that  Holbein  intended  thus  to  show  the  humanity 
of  the  Saviour.  Although  he  is  divine,  yet  in 
taking  our  diseases  he  feels  our  ills  in  mental 
anguish.  The  homely  common  sense  of  such 
an  idea  would  appeal  to  the  sturdy,  practical 
Teuton  artist. 

The  original  of  a  picture  familiar  to  the  whole 
civilised  world,  not  as  a  picture  but  as  an  adver- 
tisement, is  in  the  Royal  Gallery.  It  is  Liotard's 
"Chocolate  Girl."  The  name  alone  brings  the 
picture  vividly  before  our  minds.  The  artist, 
who  was  born  in  Geneva  in  1702,  was  a  great 
traveller  and  one  time  when  in  Vienna  he  painted 
this  maid — Mile.  Baldauf — as  he  saw  her  serving 
chocolate.  Count  Dietrichstein  was  so  charmed 
with  the  portrait  that  he  fell  in  love  with  the 
original  and  married  her.  The  picture  is  a  pastel 
in  delicate  half-tints  and  in  perfect  relief.  The 
owner  of  the  portrait  in  describing  the  picture 
says  in  the  last  sentence:  "As  to  the  finish  of  the 
work,  to  sum  it  up  in  a  word,  it  is  a  Holbein  in 
pastel!"  Liotard  has  certainly  given  us  a  dainty 
bit  of  real  life  from  Austria's  capital. 

No  city  in  Europe  shows  the  works  of  Vero- 
nese to  better  advantage  than  Dresden.  We  see, 
in  his  "Adoration  of  the  Magi"  (Fig.  64),  how 
his  excessive  love  of  elegant  stuffs  has  been  hu- 
moured to  the  fullest  extent,  for  no  artist  has  ever 
equalled  his  treatment  of  textiles.  The  brocaded 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

satins  and  embossed  velvet  robes  are  so  heavy  with 
gold  and  silver  embroideries  that  one  feels  the 
weight  of  the  garments.  No  subject  could  have 
given  freer  play  to  his  sense  of  colour  or  his  won- 
derful ingenuity  in  decorative  design.  The  dogs 
and  the  sheep  in  the  foreground  act  as  a  foil  to 
the  rich  warm  reds  and  blues  of  the  king's  cloak 
and  the  drapery  of  the  Virgin's  throne.  The 
horses  in  the  middle  distance  are  of  the  precise 
colour-note  to  harmonise  with  the  distant  sky  and 
the  brilliant  company  of  worshippers.  In  fact, 
every  detail  is  so  carefully  portrayed  that  to  omit 
even  the  smallest  article  would  mar  the  perfection 
of  the  picture. 

Another  of  Veronese's  masterpieces  is  "The 
Madonna  of  the  Cuccina  Family."  Notice  how 
wonderfully  the  artist  has  planned  his  balancing 
lights.  The  central  white  figure  on  the  right,  where 
the  Cuccina  family  are  gathered  at  the  foot  of 
the  Virgin's  throne,  acts  as  a  starting-point  for 
the  light  which  curves  downward  to  the  boy  by  the 
column,  then  up  to  the  Virgin  and  Child.  This  is 
one  of  Veronese's  most  pronounced  examples  of 
leading  the  interest  from  point  to  point  until  its 
culmination  in  the  central  figure  of  the  picture. 

We  could  scarcely  overlook  Ribera's  "  St.  Agnes" 
(Fig.  65),  were  we  even  so  inclined.  It  has  that 
insistent  quality  which  compels  attention.  Ribera 
is  not  usually  so  attractive,  inasmuch  as  his  love 

[92] 


FIG,  65.     St,  Agnes.     Ribera.     Royal  Gallery,    Dresden. 


DRESDEN 

of  the  gruesome  is  often  a  marked  feature  in  his 
paintings;  but  this  lovely  "  St.  Agnes  "is  charming. 
It  is  so  simple  and  unassuming,  with  no  accessories 
to  detract  from  the  interest  in  the  sainted  maiden. 
The  principal  colours  in  the  picture  are  brown  and 
white,  but  the  artist  has  carried  them  through 
such  wonderful  gradations  of  tone  that  the  can- 
vas fairly  glows  with  warmth  and  brightness. 
And  yet  he  is  true  to  his  Spanish  nature  in  the 
hints  of  black  in  the  undertones. 

No  saint  in  the  Church  calendar  is  more  be- 
loved than  St.  Agnes — a  Roman  maiden  of  the 
fourth  century.  She  was  a  Christian  from  her 
infancy,  and  as  she  grew  into  beautiful  young 
womanhood  she  refused  all  advances  of  a  royal 
lover  because  of  her  devotion  for  the  Saviour.  This 
so  incensed  the  royal  father  that  she  was  given 
over  to  the  common  soldiers,  but  in  answer  to 
her  prayers  her  hair  grew  and  formed  a  glorious 
cloak  of  protection,  and  a  gleaming  white  garment 
appeared  before  her.  Ribera  has  made  one  feel 
the  purity  and  sincerity  of  such  a  lovely  girl. 
For  many  years  the  picture  was  thought  to  repre- 
sent St.  Mary  of  Egypt,  or  possibly  the  Magdalene, 
but  it  is  now  believed  that  the  artist  meant  it  for 
St.  Agnes. 


[93] 


XIV 

DRESDEN— ROYAL  GALLERY  (Continued) 

"DEFORE  looking  at  the  joyous  portraits  of 
•*-*  Rembrandt  and  Saskia,  his  wife,  we  must 
see  the  original  of  that  famous  "  Reading  Mag- 
dalene" (Fig.  66),  so  long  attributed  to  Correggio, 
and  even  yet  claimed  by  some  authorities  to  be 
his.  This  picture  is  equally  as  well  known  in 
reproduction  as  is  "  Beatrice  Cenci."  It  is 
barely  possible  that  the  painting  may  be  a  copy 
of  the  lost  Magdalene  by  Correggio,  but  com- 
petent judges  assign  it  to  Van  der  Werff,  a  Dutch 
painter  of  more  than  a  century  later.  Morelli 
in  comparing  the  picture  with  other  paintings  of 
this  Dutch  artist  in  the  gallery,  says  of  the  defects, 
"the  crude  ultramarine  blue  which  was  very 
like  that  used  by  Van  der  Werff;  the  affected 
long  fingers;  the  laboured,  over-smooth  treatment 
of  the  foreground,  and  the  coquettish  lack  of 
naivete  in  the  general  design,"  all  point  away 
from  Correggio  and  toward  Van  der  Werff. 

How  different  in  sentiment  and  composition  is 
Rembrandt's  "Portraits  of  Himself  and  Saskia" 
(Fig.  67),  although  both  artists  were  natives  of 

[94] 


FIG.  66.     Reading  Magdalene.    Van  der  Werff.     Royal 
Gallery,  Dresden. 


FIG.  67.     Portrait    of     Rembrandt     and     his    Wife. 
Rembrandt.     Royal  Gallery,   Dresden. 


FIG.  68.     Boy.     Pintoricchio.     Royal  Gallery.     Dresden. 


DRESDEN 

Holland.  Rembrandt  painted  this  picture  when 
his  life  was  full  of  happiness.  It  really  seems  to 
brighten  the  room  where  it  hangs,  so  full  is  it  of 
glorious  sunshine.  One  can  well  agree  with  the 
critic  who  said  that  Rembrandt  appeared  to  have 
mixed  his  pigments  with  sunlight.  As  we  watch 
the  sparkle  and  gleam  on  his  arbitrary  spots  of 
light,  we  are  tempted  to  protect  our  eyes  from 
the  glare.  His  pictures,  like  his  life,  embrace  the 
whole  gamut  of  human  happiness  and  woe.  No 
shadow  has  yet  crept  up  as  a  foreboding  of  the 
coming  tragedy  when  his  darling  Saskia  is  to  be 
taken  from  him,  and  an  admiring  and  munificent 
public  is  to  forsake  him.  It  is  well  to  see  this 
picture  before  we  look  on  his  "  Supper  at  Emmaus" 
(Fig.  104),  in  the  Louvre,  in  order  that  we  may 
understand  somewhat  both  the  height  and  depth 
of  this  man's  intense  nature.  Rembrandt  stands 
with  that  wonderful  trio  of  Italian  artists — Mi- 
chael Angelo,  Raphael,  and  Leonardo  da  Vinci— 
as  an  expositor  of  human  emotions. 

As  we  turn  to  Pintoricchio's  "Boy"  (Fig.  68), 
we  realise  at  once  that  here  is  a  young  lad  that 
the  artist  knew  personally  and  yet  he  has  empha- 
sised those  traits  in  the  boy  that  show  us  boyhood 
in  general.  We  recognise  the  unconscious  self- 
absorption  of  the  boys  we  know.  Boys,  unlike 
girls,  pay  little  thought  to  what  people  are  think- 
ing of  them,  for  they  are  too  much  absorbed  with 

[95] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

their  own  schemes.  They  are  literally  "father 
to  the  man"  and  have  plans  carefully  thought 
out  to  execute.  This  boy,  with  his  sober  face 
framed  in  chestnut-brown  hair  and  quaint  blue 
cap,  is  a  typical  child  of  nature;  but  the  full  eyes 
and  curving  lips  mark  him  as  the  pride  of  some- 
one well  known  to  the  artist.  Such  a  picture 
would  warm  the  heart  of  any  boy  if  it  were  hung 
in  his  own  room  or  at  school. 

Dresden  is  rich  in  Netherland  pictures.  Ten- 
iers'  " Village  Fete"  (Fig.  69)  is  one  of  those 
out-of-door  scenes  so  common  with  the  "  Little 
Masters."  How  perfectly  the  artist  has  given 
us  the  spirit  of  the  merry-making  season — con- 
vivial, happy-go-lucky  swains,  dancing  with  the 
clumsy  damsels  of  the  village  with  all  the  abandon 
of  accepted  admirers.  Teniers  knew  also  how 
to  lay  his  colours  and  blend  his  lights  and 
shades. 

In  turning  to  the  indoor  scene  of  "The  Song 
Accompanied  by  the  Piano"  (Fig.  70),  we  know 
that  Kasper  Netscher  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
that  house  or  one  similar  to  it.  Exquisitely  grace- 
ful is  the  lady  in  her  shimmery  white  satin  dress, 
and  slyly  humourous  the  face  of  the  boy  who  stands 
so  demurely  holding  the  tray.  He  may  be  the 
small  brother  who  has  divined  the  secret  of  the 
lady's  careful  toilet  and  dainty  witcheries.  The 
breadth  of  handling  is  quite  marked  in  the 

[96] 


FIG.  69.     Village  Fete.     Teniers.     Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


FIG.  70.     Song  with  Piano.     Netscher.     Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


FIG.  71.     Christ    on    the    Cross. 
Royal  Gallery,  Dresden. 


Durer. 


FIG. 


?2.     Christ  with  the  Doctors.    Hofmann.     Royal 
Gallery,  Dresden. 


DRESDEN 

pillared  background,  yet  the  elaborate  table- 
spread  is  portrayed  like  jewel  work.  It  is  as- 
suredly true  that  these  "Little  Masters"  were 
"Little"  only  in  the  size  of  their  workmanship. 

One  of  the  saddest  pictures  in  all  art  is  Diirer's 
"Christ  on  the  Cross"  (Fig.  71).  The  loneliness 
of  the  Saviour  is  intensified  by  the  awful  desolation 
of  the  scene.  There  is  nothing  to  relieve  the 
prevailing  gloom  of  the  picture  save  the  faint 
tinges  of  green,  yellow,  and  red  of  the  distant 
horizon  and  the  slender  birch-trees  waving  in 
the  breeze.  Even  the  fluttering  white  cloth  seems 
to  echo  and  re-echo  that  despairing  cry  of  nine- 
teen hundred  years  ago,  "My  God!  My  God! 
Why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  The  body  of 
the  Christ  is  beautifully  modelled.  There  is 
nothing  ghastly  or  repelling  about  the  agony  on 
that  face.  Our  hearts  go  out  in  deepest  love  and 
sympathy  for  the  human  suffering  of  the  God-man. 
Diirer  knew  how  to  appeal  to  man's  highest  nature, 
and  his  religious  pictures  supplement  the  teach- 
ings of  the  great  Luther  who  was  pushing  forward 
the  Reformation  at  about  the  same  period. 

One  of  the  most  popular  pictures,  if  not  the 
greatest  favourite,  with  the  general  sightseer  in 
the  Dresden  Gallery,  is  Hofmann's  "Christ 
before  the  Doctors"  (Fig.  72).  Not  even  the 
"Sistine  Madonna"  calls  forth  as  many  exclama- 
tions of  rapture.  Probably  no  religious  picture 

[97] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

is  so  well  known  in  the  Sunday-schools  and  homes 
of  our  country  as  this  "Christ  before  the  Doctors." 
It  is  the  one  picture  where  Hofmann  has  escaped 
theatrical  treatment  of  a  biblical  scene  and  has 
really  presented  a  simple  and  sincere  phase  of 
the  subject.  No  one  will  deny  that  something 
divine  in  the  clear,  straightforward  gaze  of  the 
youthful  Jesus  compels  the  doctors  to  listen, 
and  that  the  raised  head  is  depicted  with  a  holy 
strength.  The  full  power  of  the  boy  Jesus  is 
felt  even  in  the  photographs,  as  well  as  in  the 
original  painting.  This  picture  has  given  Hof- 
mann a  reputation,  however,  that  his  other 
religious  works  do  not  justify.  We  regret  that 
Raphael's  pictorial  Bible  stories  were  not  chosen 
to  form  our  children's  ideals  of  Holy  Writ,  for 
then  their  growing  minds  would  be  inspired  with 
nobler  thoughts  of  the  Bible  and  higher  ideals  of 
art. 

Von  Uhde's  "Bethlehem"  is  another  religious 
picture  in  the  Dresden  Gallery  by  a  modern 
German  artist.  Von  Uhde  reached  the  limit  of 
realism  in  this  picture.  He  believed,  like  Rem- 
brandt, Veronese,  and  other  artists,  that  all 
religious  scenes  should  be  set  in  his  own  day  and 
surroundings,  but  he  went  a  step  further  and 
chose  those  surroundings  in  the  humblest  walks 
of  life.  This  is  beautiful  in  thought,  and  many 
of  his  pictures  appeal  strongly  to  us  because  of 

[98] 


DRESDEN 

his  sincerity,  but  why  such  realism  as  angels 
with  wings  and  calloused,  corn-covered  feet  and 
poor  half-starved  bodies  sitting  on  the  rafters 
singing  the  glad  tidings  of  Bethlehem?  There 
are  comely,  wholesome  peasants  who  need  the 
Gospel  and  who  could  sing  "Peace  on  Earth." 
and  still  make  us  feel  glad  at  the  same  time. 


[99] 


XV 

BERLIN— ROYAL  GALLERY 

of  Murillo's  most  beautiful  religious 
pictures  is  "St.  Anthony  and  the  Christ 
Child  "  (Fig.  73),  in  the  Berlin  Gallery.  Murillo's 
"St.  Anthony "  pictures  have  less  of  sentimental- 
ism  than  his  other  religious  paintings.  Possibly 
St.  Anthony's  life  of  sacrifice  and  spiritual  de- 
votion appealed  to  an  inner  depth  of  the  artist's 
nature  and  called  forth  feelings  more  genuine 
in  truth  and  sincerity.  The  sweet  angel  children 
belong  as  truly  to  this  world  as  his  street  gamins, 
but  the  holy  joy  on  the  sainted  man's  face  as  he 
clasps  the  baby  Jesus  to  his  heart  appears  to  lift 
the  little  group  to  heavenly  places.  Gladness 
fills  our  hearts  that  St.  Anthony  enjoyed  the  bliss 
of  holding  the  heavenly  Child  while  he  carried 
the  Gospel  to  the  poor. 

St.  Anthony,  an  Egyptian,  was  left  a  rich  orphan 
when  quite  young,  and,  becoming  a  Christian 
early  in  life,  felt  that  his  great  wealth  and  high 
rank  hindered  his  service  to  God,  so  he  gave  his 
property  to  the  poor  and  joined  a  company  of 
hermits  in  the  desert.  He  was  so  pure  in  thought 

[100] 


FIG.  74.     Portrait  of  Allesandro  del  Borro.     Velasquez. 
Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin. 


BERLIN 

and  action  that  he  roused  the  hatred  of  Sar<in, 
who  began  to  torment  him  with  every  earthly 
pleasure,  even  using  force  to  compel  him  to  yield. 
St.  Anthony,  however,  overcame  these  tempta- 
tions and  then  went  further  into  the  desert, 
where  he  shut  himself  in  a  cave  for  twenty  years. 
At  fifty-five  years  of  age  he  came  forth  and  began 
those  wonderful  years  of  preaching  which  lasted 
until  he  died,  one  hundred  and  four  years  old. 
As  we  remember  these  few  incidents  in  the  holy 
man's  life,  we  feel  that  the  religious  fervour  which 
Murillo  has  expressed  in  the  spiritual  rapture  on 
the  saint's  face  is  in  harmony  with  the  sentiment 
of  the  scene,  while  the  flood  of  golden  light  that 
illuminates  the  centre  of  the  picture  seems  to  glow 
in  our  own  hearts. 

The  "Portrait  of  Allesandro  del  Borro"  (Fig. 
74),  by  Velasquez,  is  considered  one  of  the  greatest 
portraits  ever  painted.  When  we  consider  the 
physical  unattractiveness  of  Allesandro  we  are 
still  more  strongly  impressed  with  the  wonderful 
power  of  the  artist.  Velasquez  has  held  us  by  the 
marvellous  personality  of  his  sitter — the  animal 
magnetism,  as  it  were.  Only  a  master  of  the 
brush  could  have  held  in  abeyance  the  physical 
peculiarities  and  revealed  the  very  soul  of  the  man. 
Having  once  seen  this  portrait,  no  one  could  forget 
del  Borro.  His  individuality  fills  the  room,  and 
were  we  to  see  him  walking  along  the  street  with 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

familiar  friends  we  would  at  once  recognise  him 
as  a  man  known  to  us.  Such  is  true  portraiture. 

It  seems  quite  in  place  next  to  look  at  something 
by  Rubens,  because  of  his  close  friendship  with 
Velasquez.  While  Rubens  was  on  a  diplomatic 
mission  to  Spain,  King  Philip  IV.,  through  his 
influence,  sent  Velasquez  to  Italy  to  buy  paint- 
ings for  Madrid,  and  thus  made  that  gallery  one 
of  the  finest  in  Europe.  We  will  visit  it  on  our 
next  trip  abroad,  to  be  described  in  a  later  book. 
As  we  stand  before  one  of  Rubens'  "garland" 
pictures,  especially  "The  Christ  Child,  St.  John 
and  Angels,"  we  realise  as  never  before  that 
Rubens  had  a  very  warm  spot  in  his  heart  for 
little  children.  The  infants  in  this  sacred  picture 
are  like  a  wreath  of  blushing  roses  or  a  garland 
of  rosy  fruits.  The  tender  pink  baby  flesh  of 
the  little  Jesus  and  John  is  as  exquisite  in  texture 
and  colour  as  the  bloom  on  the  rose  petal  or  the 
tint  on  the  cheek  of  the  peach.  Surely,  in  depict- 
ing the  delicious  beauty  of  the  healthy  baby 
flesh,  Rubens  was  a  "god  among  painters,"  and 
Reynolds  was  right  in  stating  that  "He  is  the  best 
workman  with  his  tools  that  ever  managed  a 
pencil." 

Let  us  now  look  at  another  Netherland  paint- 
ing, "Hille  Bobbe,"  by  Franz  Hals  (Fig.  75). 
Hille  Bobbe  is  not  a  beauty  but  she  is  alive.  Hals 
knew  that  woman  and  had  had  many  a  sharp 

[102] 


FIG.  75.     Hille  Bobbe.    Franz  Hals.    Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin. 


FIG.  77.     Madonna  Child  and  Saints. 
Vivarini.     Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin. 


FIG.  76.     Family  of   Gelfing.     Metsu.     Berlin   Gallery,   Berlin. 


BERLIN 

encounter  of  words  with  her — to  his  disadvantage, 
without  doubt.  Her  ribald  song  and  coarse  wit 
were  doubtless  the  amusement  of  many  a  bar-room. 
What  a  glorious  portrait  it  is!  The  artist  had 
a  marvellous  understanding  of  human  nature. 
Any  drawing-room  would  glow  with  richness  and 
warmth  adorned  by  such  a  treasure.  Hals  was 
said  to  have  been  a  common  frequenter  of  the 
taverns  and  a  great  lover  of  his  cups,  but  surely 
not  in  excess,  or  he  never  could  have  left  such  a 
vast  number  of  paintings  of  such  excellent  quality. 
Mr.  John  C.  Van  Dyke  says  that  Hals  "was  prac- 
tically the  founder  of  Dutch  painting,  yet  he  realised 
to  the  full  the  Dutch  idea  and  subject,  and  that, 
too,  with  a  style  that  is  astonishing  in  its  cultured 
maturity." 

In  Metsu's  "Family  of  Gelfing"  (Fig.  76), 
we  have  a  picture  of  home  life  among  the  well-to- 
do  Dutch  people  rarely  equalled  in  breadth  and 
fidelity.  The  room  is  not  over-crowded  with 
accessories,  but  enough  furniture  is  included  to 
suggest  the  home  character.  There  is  a  dignity 
and  reserve  in  the  various  members  of  the  group 
that  is  in  sympathetic  accord  with  the  thought  of 
a  well-organised  family.  Notice  how  decorously 
the  nurse  brings  the  youngest  born  to  the  gather- 
ing and  how  gleefully  the  older  baby  enjoys  her 
pre-empted  place  by  her  mother.  Observe  also 
how  well  balanced  and  yet  how  varied  are  the 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE  , 

two  ends  of  the  room.  The  open  door  at  the 
left,  revealing  the  tiled  court-yard  and  a  second 
door  open  beyond,  affords  a  breadth  of  view  that 
enlarges  the  room  and  allows  plenty  of  breathing- 
space  for  the  group.  Metsu  understood  also 
how  to  domesticate  the  dog  and  cat  and  make 
them  living  members  in  the  household.  There 
is  something  particularly  attractive  in  the  per- 
sonality that  characterises  each  person.  The 
children  on  the  floor  are  as  individual  in  their 
love  for  the  animals  as  the  grown  people  in  their 
pride  of  possession.  The  painting  is  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  picture  portraiture. 

It  is  a  long  step  in  both  time  and  country  from 
Metsu's  " Family  Group"  to  Vivarini's  " Madonna, 
Child  and  Saints"(  Fig.  77),  in  the  same  gallery. 
The  Vivarini  family  stands  for  the  beginning  of 
Venetian  art.  It  is  always  interesting  and  in- 
structive to  know  a  few  of  the  early  pictures — 
the  forerunners  of  the  noted  masterpieces  in  any 
country — for  they  help  to  steady  our  judgment 
and  widen  our  sense  of  art  development.  How 
quickly  we  recognise  even  in  this  early  picture  the 
Venetian's  love  of  elegant  stuffs  and  decorative 
surroundings.  We  see  also  the  influence  of  the 
far  East  in  the  long  fingers,  elongated  faces,  and 
drooping  eyelids;  but  the  beautiful  transparent 
colour,  the  tender  expression  on  the  face  of  the 
Madonna,  and  the  sturdy  little  boy  at  the  foot 
[104] 


BERLIN 

of  the  throne  mark  a  decided  advance  over  the 
Orient.  The  unconscious  little  music-makers 
alone  are  sufficient  to  foretell  of  the  future  of  Venice 
as  a  centre  for  art  treasures. 

The  great  master-painter  of  the  famous  Repub- 
lic was  " Titian"  (Fig.  78),  whose  portrait  was 
painted  by  himself.  As  we  look  into  the  face 
of  that  man,  we  are  ready  to  exclaim  "II  divino 
Titiano!"  and  to  agree  with  Charles  V.  as  he 
said  over  and  over,  "There  are  many  princes, 
but  there  is  only  one  Titian,"  and  again,  "I 
have  many  nobles,  but  one  Titian."  Even  these 
flattering  remarks  from  a  monarch  who  was  usu- 
ally "as  false  as  water,"  did  not  adequately  ex- 
press the  great  admiration  he  had  for  the  artist. 
One  day  while  the  king  was  watching  him  a  paint 
brush  rolled  to  the  floor  and  lay  there,  purposely 
unnoticed  by  the  attending  courtiers.  The  indig- 
nant sovereign,  glad  to  rebuke  his  followers, 
stooped  and  picked  up  the  brush,  remarking, 
"It  becomes  Caesar  to  serve  Titian." 

The  artist  painted  this  portrait  of  himself  when 
he  was  sixty-five  years  old.  Look  at  the  broad, 
swift  strokes  on  the  changeable  crimson  doublet, 
shimmery  damask  sleeves,  and  fur  collar.  They 
show  the  strength  of  a  master  hand  and  need  no 
"finish"  to  prove  its  skill.  Notice  the  strength 
of  character  in  every  line  of  the  wonderfully 
modelled  face — every  inch  an  aristocrat,  every 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

thought  a  power,  every  action  an  achievement. 
What  an  inheritance  he  has  left  to  us! 

As  we  turn  now  to  the  "  Portrait  of  his  Daugh- 
ter Lavinia,"  we  realise  the  tenderness  of  the 
great  master.  This  daughter  was  the  "  absolute 
mistress  of  his  soul."  His  wife,  Cecilia,  died  as 
the  little  daughter  first  saw  the  light,  and  later 
his  eldest  son,  destined  for  a  priest,  disgraced 
him;  little  wonder  then  that  the  motherless  treas- 
ure became  "the  person  dearest  to  him  in  all  the 
world."  He  painted  her  picture  many  times,  and 
twice  in  this  same  pose,  but  in  this  picture  pre- 
eminently her  simple,  unconscious  manner  re- 
veals the  sweet,  natural  companionship  that 
existed  between  father  and  daughter.  She  has 
apparently  just  turned  her  head  to  ask  if  the  bas- 
ket of  fruit  is  held  at  the  right  angle.  She  is 
dressed  in  a  gown  of  yellowish  silk  which  con- 
trasts perfectly  with  her  warm,  glowing  flesh  and 
dark,  auburn  hair.  The  golden  diadem  circling 
her  head  sparkles  in  unison  with  the  softer  glow 
on  the  string  of  pearls  around  her  neck.  The 
questioning  look  in  her  deep  brown  eyes  is  so 
modest  and  girlish  that  it  adds  another  charm 
to  the  masterpiece.  It  is  indeed  a  rare  privilege 
to  look  upon  the  faces  of  Titian  and  Lavinia  and 
trace  the  resemblance  of  the  daughter  to  the  great 
master. 

In  the  scenes  from  "The  Life  of  Christ,"  by 
[106] 


FIG.  78.     Portrait  of  Titian.     Titian.     Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin. 


FIG.  79. 


The   Magi  and    the  Star.     Van  der  Weyden. 
Berlin  Gallery,  Berlin. 


BERLIN 

Van  der  Weyden,  we  recognise  many  of  the  old 
legends  of  the  church  that  have  been  particularly 
well  preserved  among  the  northern  people  of 
Europe.  Notice  in  "The  Magi  Worshipping  the 
Star"  (Fig.  79),  how  the  star  is  represented  as 
a  little  child— the  infant  Jesus.  With  simple 
naivete  the  wise  men  yield  willing  worship  to  the 
heavenly  vision.  Van  der  Weyden  has  also  pre- 
served the  legend  of  the  three  races  in  portraying 
the  eastern  kings.  He  shows  especial  genius 
in  the  arrangement  of  this  composition,  and  his 
love  of  nature  has  given  us  a  rare  bit  of  landscape, 
quite  unusual  for  his  time.  His  handling  of 
drapery-folds  also,  and  the  portrayal  of  elegant 
stuffs  mark  him  as  an  artist  whose  travels  in  Italy 
had  broadened  his  art  without  destroying  his 
originality.  His  religious  pictures  are  full  of 
sincerity  and  honest  feeling  even  though  the  figures 
are  awkward  and  the  drawing  rather  faulty. 

Van  der  Weyden  had  a  curious  way  of  placing 
many  of  his  groups  as  though  seen  through  an 
archwayl  As  we  look  at  "The  Naming  of  the 
Little  St.  John,"  the  effectiveness  of  the  round 
arch  with  its  grey  stone  decorative  designs,  erect 
statues,  and  slender  pillars  is  strikingly  evident. 
He  seemed  to  make  use  of  the  arch  for  a  dividing 
screen  when  he  wished  to  represent  more  than 
one  scene  of  action.  In  this  picture  he  has  pre- 
served another  tradition  in  placing  a  halo  around 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

the  head  of  the  woman  holding  the  little  St.  John. 
This  symbol  indicates  that  the  woman  is  the 
Virgin  Mary  whom  many  presume  remained  with 
Elizabeth  until  after  the  birth  of  John  the  Baptist. 
This  was  a  common  belief  in  the  early  centuries 
of  the  church  and  we  love  to  think  that  it  is  cor- 
rect. We  are  charmed  with  the  tender  solici- 
tude of  the  nurse  at  the  back  of  the  room  as  she 
leans  over  the  bed  where  Elizabeth  lies.  Even 
in  this  strictly  indoors  scene  the  artist  has  shown 
his  love  for  the  great  out-of-doors  by  the  tiny 
glimpse  of  country  visible  through  the  half-open 
door  and  by  the  stray  plants  at  the  feet  of  the 
principal  actors  directly  before  us. 


[108] 


XVI 

AMSTERDAM— RYKS  MUSEUM 

OEMBRANDT'S  "Night  Watch"  (Fig.  80) 
•*  ^  is  the  greatest  treasure  in  the  Ryks  Mu- 
seum, and  one  of  the  six  greatest  pictures  in  the 
world.  Rembrandt  probably  had  no  sketch  of 
the  subject  as  a  whole  in  making  this  corporation 
picture,  although  two  hasty  sketches  of  the  cen- 
tral group  exist — one  in  black  chalk  and  the  other 
a  pen  drawing.  The  discussion  regarding  the 
correct  title  of  the  scene  seems  settled  in  favour  of 
the  "Day  Watch"  despite  the  fact  that  some  au- 
thorities still  cling  to  the  former  name.  In  the 
opinion  of  many  the  term  "Night  Watch"  may 
have  come  from  the  dense  shadows  and  dark 
tones  which,  even  in  1780,  made  Reynolds  doubt- 
ful whether  this  was  really  a  Rembrandt.  Strange 
stories  also  have  arisen  as  to  the  meaning  of  the 
scene.  Of  the  two  most  commonly  told,  one 
account  says  that  the  men  were  assembled  in  prep- 
aration for  practice  of  military  tactics  and  that 
the  moment  chosen  by  the  artist  is  the  instant 
when  the  men  with  arms  prepared  are  ready  to 
start  out.  This  would  give  decided  precedent 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO   SEE 

to  the  term  "Day  Watch."  The  other  story  is 
more  picturesque  and  might  account  'for  the  un- 
certain condition  of  the  tones  in  the  painting. 
It  says  that  the  civic  guards  were  at  a  banquet, 
when  in  the  midst  of  the  festivities  a  little  girl 
gave  an  alarm;  she  said  that  while  she  and  her 
little  companion  were  playing  at  nightfall  near 
the  edge  of  the  town  they  overheard  some  Spanish 
soldiers  planning  an  attack.  This  startling  in- 
formation might  have  been  the  cause  of  the  ap- 
parent confusion  in  the  scene  and  explain  the 
presence  in  the  foreground  of  the  child,  a  queer 
mixture  of  woman  and  girl.  It  matters  little, 
however,  what  the  cause  of  the  assembly  may  be, 
or  the  name  of  the  picture,  for  we  are  intensely 
absorbed  in  the  marvellous  lighting.  Whence 
comes  the  light  that  floods  the  whole  form  of  the 
child  ?  Why  is  one  man  in  the  foreground  appar- 
ently in  the  full  sunlight  while  his  companion 
by  his  side,  excepting  for  his  face,  hand,  and 
collar,  is  in  the  shadow?  Never  has  Rembrandt 
been  more  arbitrary  in  placing  his  light  than  in 
this  curious  composition. 

When  the  "Night  Watch"  was  placed  in  the 
Ryks  Museum  it  was  too  large  for  the  space 
assigned,  so  a  piece  was  cut  off  each  side  to  accom- 
modate it  to  its  new  home.  Was  there  ever  greater 
vandalism  than  that?  This  picture  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  end  of  Rembrandt's  life  as  a  popular 
[no] 


AMSTERDAM 

artist.  The  civic  guards  had  asked  for  a  guild 
picture  where  each  man  would  have  equal  promi- 
nence, but  the  artist  was  not  willing  simply  to 
make  a  portrait  group  regardless  of  pictorial  effect 
even  to  hold  the  patronage  that  was  his  right. 
Art  was  considered  too  sacred  a  calling  by  Rem- 
brandt to  be  controlled  by  the  patron.  The 
" Night  Watch"  has  been  recently  cleaned,  and 
now  more  than  ever  gives  the  impression  of  being 
a  "Day  Watch." 

Rembrandt  found  in  "The  Cloth  Merchants" 
(Fig.  81),  that  a  portrait  quality  best  suited  the 
corporation  picture.  In  this  painting  we  have  the 
same  keen,  bright  faces  so  characteristic  of  the 
Dutch  merchants  to-day;  in  fact,  one  can  scarcely 
realise  that  nearly  three  hundred  years  have  rolled  by 
since  Rembrandt  painted  these  men.  Dark  clothes, 
wide,  white  collars,  and  broad  beaver  hats  have 
changed  very  little  in  Holland  in  the  three  centuries. 
Were  hands  ever  more  instinct  with  life  and  per- 
sonal traits,  and  bodies  more  responsive  to  well- 
balanced  minds?  These  men  are  simple  mer- 
chants discussing  some  details  of  their  calling, 
but  there  is  not  a  face  expressive  of  greed  and  a 
desire  to  appropriate  the  lion's  share.  We  wish 
to  shake  each  man  by  the  hand  and  ask  his  views 
of  the  vital  questions  of  the  day.  Not  a  man 
among  them  has  his  " price."  Notice  again  how 
the  faces  are  all  in  the  light  and  the  clothes  and 
[in] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

hats  subordinated  at  the  artist's  discretion.  Such 
unique  effects,  produced  by  the  arbitrary  placing 
of  light  and  shadow,  were  never  achieved  before 
or  since,  but  of  course  there  has  never  been  but 
one  Rembrandt. 

Opposite  Rembrandt's  "Night  Watch"  hangs 
Van  der  Heist's  "Civic  Guards"  (Fig.  82).  Sir 
Joshua  Reynolds  said  of  this  work:  "This  is, 
perhaps,  the  first  picture  of  portraits  in  the  world, 
comprehending  more  qualities  which  make  a 
perfect  portrait  than  any  other  I  have  seen." 
Heist  was  perfectly  willing  to  sacrifice  the  pic- 
ture quality  in  order  to  please  each  individual 
in  the  portrait  quality.  Someone  has  aptly  said 
in  criticising  the  painting  that  if  Heist  had  taken 
separate  portraits  and  pasted  them  on  canvas, 
there  would  scarcely  have  been  less  unity  in  light 
and  atmosphere.  Portraits  were  in  demand  at 
that  time,  and  Heist  was  ready  to  help  furnish 
the  supply  and  please  his  patrons.  Each  man 
of  the  twenty-five  in  the  "Civic  Guard"  is  given 
equal  prominence  with  his  neighbour — wonder- 
ful men  they  are,  too.  Note  the  supreme  dig- 
nity and  repose  of  each,  and  how  expressive  of 
individual  character  are  the  faces  and  hands  of 
the  assembled  company!  But  where  can  the 
mind  rest  in  contemplating  such  a  collection  of 
portraits  ?  Let  us  turn  for  a  moment  and  look 
again  at  the  "Night  Watch"  opposite.  How 
[112] 


FIG.  83;     The  Jester.     Franz  Hals. 
Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam. 


FIG.  84.     Christmas.     Jan  Steen.     Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam. 


AMSTERDAM 

quickly  the  eye  seeks  the  centre  of  attraction! 
The  mind  feels  a  sense  of  relief  to  have  the  interest 
centralised.  Rembrandt  produced  a  picture,  Heist 
simply  a  portrait  group. 

The  director  of  the  Ryks  Museum  says  that 
competent  judges  pronounce  Hals'  "Jester" 
(Fig.  83)  not  genuine — probably  painted  by  one 
of  Hals'  family.  Mr.  Timothy  Cole,  who  has 
made  an  excellent  engraving  of  it,  points  out 
the  clumsiness  of  the  hands  as  the  most  evident 
sign  of  an  inferior  brush,  but  acknowledges  that 
the  "Jester,"  though  an  uncertain  work,  certainly 
displays  remarkable  cleverness  of  handling. 
There  is  possibly  a  subtle  consciousness  of  touch 
foreign  to  Hals,  for  his  method  is  simplicity  it- 
self and  always  perfectly  natural  and  unconscious. 

In  the  picture  of  "Christmas"  (Fig.  84),  by 
Jan  Steen,  this  artist  proves  that  though  usually 
a  painter  of  scenes  from  the  tavern  and  ale-house, 
he  was  equally  at  home  in  the  family  among  the 
children.  He  has  here  brought  us  in  close  touch 
with  the  Christmas-morning  scenes  in  the  homes 
where  there  are  children.  Who  has  not  watched 
with  delight  the  toddling  darling  of  the  house- 
hold as  she  appropriates  all  the  presents  to  herself, 
even  to  the  extent  of  making  a  cry-baby  of  her 
booby  brother?  Steen  has  often  been  called  the 
Dutch  Hogarth.  He  assuredly  satirised  the 
foibles  of  humanity  unmercifully,  but  his  pic- 
["3] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

tures  of  vice  are  perhaps  a  little  too  attractive, 
although  his  sarcastic  slings  may  have  cut  deeply. 
One  of  the  best  of  Gerard  Dou's  pictures  is  in 
the  Ryks  Museum.  Mr.  Cole  says  of  it:  "I 
well  remember,  on  seeing  for  the  first  time  the 
'  Night  School/  how  I  put  up  my  hand  to  shut 
out  the  light  of  the  candles  in  the  foreground, 
that  I  might  better  discern  the  objects  in  the  back- 
ground, forgetting  for  the  moment  that  they 
were  not  real,  but  painted  lights. "  The  effect 
of  the  light  from  the  five  candles  in  the  picture 
is  truly  remarkable.  The  custom  of  the  Dutch 
artists  in  painting  these  candle-light  scenes  was 
to  shut  out  the  daylight  and  illuminate  a  room 
with  tallow  dips,  then  to  look  through  an  aperture 
cut  in  the  door  and  study  the  effect  of  the  arti- 
ficial illumination. 


XVII 

THE    HAGUE— PICTURE    GALLERY 
ANTWERP— CATHEDRAL 

TN  The  Hague  Picture  Gallery  we  find  Rem- 
•^  brandt's  famous  "School  of  Anatomy" 
(Fig.  85).  This  painting,  ordered  by  Doctor 
Tulp  for  the  Guild  of  Surgeons,  was  the  artist's 
first  guild  picture  and  was  intended  for  the  Dis- 
secting-Room  in  Amsterdam.  It  is  said  that 
soon  after  Rembrandt  received  the  order  he 
bribed  Doctor  Tulp's  attendant  to  secrete  him 
in  the  lecture-room  behind  a  curtain  where  he 
could  see  and  hear  without  being  seen.  It  was 
against  the  rules  of  the  guild  to  admit  an  out- 
sider during  lecture  hours  when  the  doctor  was 
demonstrating  to  his  associates  and  the  students. 
Rembrandt's  subterfuge  was  discovered,  but  Doc- 
tor Tulp  forgave  the  artist  when  he  saw  the  paint- 
ing he  had  produced  because  of  his  unfair  measure. 
The  picture  represents  the  moment  when  Doctor 
Tulp  is  explaining  to  his  audience — not  seen  in 
the  painting — the  working  of  the  muscles  and 
tendons  of  the  arm.  Although  Rembrandt  has 
placed  his  strongest  light  on  the  livid  white  body 

[us] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

of  the  "  subject,"  he  has  given  such  pronounced 
individuality  to  the  men  listening  to  the  great 
physician  that  their  faces  claim  the  closest  at- 
tention. No  thought  of  the  gruesomeness  of  the 
object  under  discussion  detracts  from  our  interest 
in  Doctor  Tulp  or  the  effect  of  his  discourse 
on  his  hearers.  There  is  an  extraordinary  ex- 
pression of  keen  understanding  on  the  face  of 
the  great  man,  and  his  hands  respond  deftly  in 
the  use  of  the  forceps  and  in  supplementing  his 
verbal  explanation.  The  shortness  of  the  right 
arm  of  the  corpse  is  explained  by  artists  as  a 
deformity,  for  Rembrandt  never  would  have 
made  so  great  a  blunder  in  anatomy. 

In  the  next  room  is  Paul  Potter's  "Bull"  (Fig. 
86).  As  we  stand  before  this  picture  and  listen 
to  the  remarks  of  the  people  always  gathered 
around  it,  we  hear  such  exclamations  as:  "How 
natural!"  "Doesn't  he  stand  out?"  and  "Isn't 
he  a  fine  animal?"  "Yes,"  we  answer  to  the 
last  remark,  "he  is  a  fine  animal,  but  he  cer- 
tainly does  not  deserve  all  the  eulogies  bestowed 
upon  him  by  the  general  sightseer."  "The  Bull" 
is  particulary  well  done  for  a  young  artist  only 
twenty-one  years  old;  he  has  all  the  qualities  of 
"standing  out,"  and  of  being  "natural."  In  fact, 
Mr.  John  C.  Van  Dyke  is  right  in  saying  that 
"the  bull  seems  in  some  danger  of  falling  out  of 
the  frame":  he  has  no  part  or  coherence  with 
[lift-] 


FIG.  86.     The  Bull.    Paul  Potter.    Picture  Gallery,  The  Hague. 


FIG.  87.     The  Despatch.      Ter  Borch. 
Gallery,  The  Hague. 


Picture 


THE  HAGUE 

the  rest  of  the  scene,  but  is  simply  a  picture  by 
himself.  Now  let  us  look  at  him  in  reference 
to  his  relationship  with  the  other  objects  in  the 
painting.  The  bull  has  life  and  spirit  peculiar 
to  his  kind,  but  the  cow  and  the  sheep  might  just 
as  well  be  of  clay  so  far  as  any  resemblance  to 
living  animals  is  concerned.  Even  the  man 
could  not  possibly  lift  himself  away  from  the  sup- 
porting tree  and  fence.  Potter  seems  to  have 
used  all  his  skill  on  the  young  bull,  excepting  that 
he  has  made  the  sky  and  clouds  an  admirable 
background  for  the  pose  of  his  favourite.  One  is 
curious  to  know  why  this  picture  was  ever  in- 
cluded among  the  ten  greatest  pictures  of  the 
world,  as  has  often  been  the  case. 

Naturally  the  visitor  expects  to  find  many  paint- 
ings by  the  " Little  Dutchmen"  of  Holland  in 
The  Hague,  and  he  is  not  disappointed,  for  the 
number  and  variety  of  their  genre  subjects  even 
exceed  expectations.  Probably  the  greatest  artist 
of  this  group  was  Gerard  Ter  Borch,  a  man  who 
stands  very  close  to  Rembrandt  and  Franz  Hals 
in  his  artistic  career.  His  paintings  are  pictures 
pure  and  simple.  "The  Despatch"  (Fig.  87)  was 
painted  in  1655  when  he  had  reached  the  maturity 
of  his  powers.  Peace  had  been  declared  in  the 
Netherlands,  and  Ter  Borch's  officer  therefore 
represents  a  soldier  retired  from  active  service 
in  the  field.  These  retired  officers  were  favourite 
["7] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

subjects  in  many  of  his  paintings.  We  are 
charmed  with  the  simplicity  of  action  in  the  com- 
position. The  scene  represents  a  standing  trum- 
peter who  has  come  to  bring  his  superior  a  despatch, 
an  officer,  and  a  girl  seated  on  the  floor  by  his 
side.  The  striking  blue  and  yellow  costume  of 
the  trumpeter  stands  in  bold  contrast  to  the  white 
satin  of  the  girl's  dress.  Ter  Borch  loved  to  clothe 
his  women  in  white  satin  and  he  knew  just  how 
to  let  the  light  play  over  its  smooth  surface; 
his  rare  handling  also  of  light  and  shade  produced 
a  delicate  harmony  in  tones  that  heightened  the 
artistic  charm  of  his  works. 

In  "Soap  Bubbles"  (Fig.  88),  Van  Mieris  has 
given  us  one  of  his  happy  scenes  of  everyday  life. 
This  commonest  of  all  sports  of  children  in  every 
country  has  become  under  his  hand  one  of  the 
rarest  of  pleasures.  Why  have  we  never  seen 
the  full  beauty  of  such  a  pastime  before?  Was 
any  child  ever  so  fascinating  when  blowing  bub- 
bles as  this  little  fellow  before  us  ?  Did  any  grape- 
vine ever  form  such  an  arbour  of  luxuriant  leaves  ? 
Surely  Van  Mieris  has  given  us  a  peep  into  a 
new  world  of  beauty.  That  picture  is  a  messenger 
of  happy  days.  The  artist  had  a  pleasing  habit 
of  choosing  subjects  from  his  immediate  surround- 
ings and  of  putting  into  his  pictures  a  good- 
humoured  view  of  life.  His  scenes  always  give 
us  a  feeling  of  contentment  and  good  cheer.  The 
[118] 


FIG.  88.     Soap  Bubbles.    Van  Mieris.    Picture  Gallery,  The  Hague. 


FIG.  89.     The  Descent  from  the  Cross.     Rubens.     Antwerp  Cathedral,  Antwerp. 


ANTWERP 

"Little  Dutchmen"  most  assuredly  knew  how  to 
paint  for  the  home. 

We  must  stop  at  Antwerp  if  only  to  see  Rubens' 
"Descent  from  the  Cross,"  in  the  Cathedral 
(Fig.  89).  It  is  not  only  one  of  the  six  greatest 
pictures  of  the  world,  but  the  most  famous  paint- 
ing of  the  subject.  The  startling  effect  of  the 
pallid  dead  body  against  the  white  sheet  shows 
Rubens'  power  to  accomplish  satisfactory  results 
where  a  lesser  artist  would  have  failed.  Such 
splendid  handling  of  white  against  white  has 
rarely  been  equalled  and  never  surpassed.  As 
the  eye  follows  the  motive  of  white  light  from  the 
man  holding  the  sheet  in  his  mouth  diagonally 
across  the  canvas,  it  notes  how  tenderly  the  illumi- 
nation falls  on  the  golden  head  of  the  Magdalene 
and  spends  itself  on  the  face  of  the  weeping  Mother 
and  the  other  woman.  The  tones  of  white  vary 
as  sensitively  as  the  notes  on  bells  of  various 
sizes  and  shapes;  there  is  no  similarity  between 
the  white  flesh  of  the  dead  Christ  and  the  stricken 
face  of  the  Virgin  Mother,  although  both  are 
apparently  bloodless.  The  drawing  of  the  dead 
body,  so  limp  and  helpless  in  its  lifeless  condition, 
and  the  firm  muscles  of  the  two  men  lowering 
the  precious  burden  is  masterful  and  true;  and 
the  colours  are  subdued  and  sombre,  excepting 
the  warm  flesh  tints  of  the  Magdalene's  face  and 
arms  and  her  glorious  golden  hair. 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

We  have  now  seen  six  of  the  greatest  pictures 
of  the  world: 

"  The  Last  Supper,"  Leonardo  da  Vinci  (Fig.  53). 
"The  Sistine  Madonna,"  Raphael  (Fig.  60). 
"The  Last  Judgment,"  Michael  Angelo  (Fig.  5). 
"The  Assumption,"  Titian  (Fig.  41). 
"The  Night  Watch,"  Rembrandt  (Fig.  80). 
"The  Descent  from  the  Cross,"  Rubens  (Fig.  89). 


[120] 


XVIII 

PARIS— LOUVRE 

A  S  we  enter  the  Louvre  picture  gallery  from 
•**'  the  staircase  where  the  "Winged  Victory 
of  Samothrace"  rests  on  the  prow  of  a  ship,  we 
come  to  Ingres'  " Source"  (Fig.  90),  a  picture 
representing  the  artist's  belief  that  "in  nature  all 
is  form,"  as  he  often  said.  The  beauty  and  dig- 
nity of  the  perfectly  modelled  body  accord  well  with 
the  severe  lines  in  the  rock;  and  the  delicately 
curved  limbs  of  the  chaste  maiden  find  a  counter- 
part in  the  stream  pouring  from  the  jar  on  her 
shoulder.  The  purity  and  simplicity  of  the  theme 
lift  one  to  noble  thoughts  and  high  ideals.  We 
seem  to  reach  the  real  source  of  goodness  where 
all  is  pure  and  holy.  The  limpid  pool  is  Nature's 
mirror  for  the  lowly  flower  that  blooms  by  the 
water's  edge  and  the  sinless  child  who  stands  by 
its  brink.  Ingres  has  closely  united  the  sister 
arts — sculpture  and  painting — in  this  single  figure. 
He  came  at  a  time  in  French  art  when  the  classic 
was  beginning  to  give  place  to  a  little  more  realism. 
His  enthusiasm  for  correct  drawing  is  still  felt 
in  the  French  school,  although  nearly  a  half- 
century  has  passed  since  his  death. 

[121] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

One  of  the  greatest  treasures  of  the  Louvre  is 
Leonardo  da  Vinci's  "Mona  Lisa"  (Fig.  91). 
Although  Leonardo,  after  four  years  of  work, 
considered  it  unfinished,  it  is  a  masterpiece. 
Her  smile  alone  is  the  wonder  of  critics  and  the 
despair  of  artists.  To  paint  a  face  in  the  act 
of  crying  or  laughing  without  making  it  grotesque 
is  a  marvellous  achievement.  Leonardo  has  put 
on  canvas  a  smile  that  is  everlasting.  The  fas- 
cination of  that  soulful  woman  is  inexplicable. 
She  sits  there  reposeful  as  a  sphinx,  thoughtful 
as  a  philosopher,  imperious  as  a  queen,  and 
gentle  as  a  woman.  Like  the  little  stream  that 
winds  away  in  the  distance,  she  seems  to  have 
no  beginning  or  end.  About  all  we  know  of 
the  history  of  this  unique  woman  is  that  she  was 
the  wife  of  Francesco  del  Giocondo.  When 
Leonardo  painted  her  portrait  he  had  musicians 
sing  and  play  to  enliven  her  thoughts. 

There  are  several  of  Titian's  masterpieces  in 
the  Carre  gallery  of  the  Louvre.  His  "Entomb- 
ment" is  considered  the  best  picture  ever  painted 
of  that  strange  scene.  It  is  not  an  attractive 
subject,  but  Titian,  as  usual,  has  made  of  it 
a  grand  and  majestic  composition.  The  dead 
Christ  is  being  borne  to  the  grave  by  Nicodemus 
and  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  while  St.  John,  the 
beloved  disciple,  tenderly  holds  the  lifeless  arm 
of  his  dead  Master.  Joseph  is  swinging  the 
[122] 


FIG.  90.     Le  Source.     Ingres.    Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  91.     Mona  Lisa.     Leonardo  da  Vinci.     Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

lower  part  of  the  body  around  toward  the  tomb 
near  the  trees  on  the  right,  thus  throwing  it  into 
the  full  light.  The  lurid  gleam  breaking  through 
the  clouds  falls  on  the  faces  of  Joseph,  John, 
and  the  two  women — the  Virgin  and  Mary  Mag- 
dalene. The  yellow  dress  of  the  latter  and  her 
rich  auburn  hair  are  stirred  by  the  early  breeze, 
which  seems  to  come  from  the  gloom  in  the  depths 
of  the  trees. 

Titian's  "Man  with  a  Glove"  is  the  por- 
trait of  some  person  now  unknown.  But  what 
a  portrait  it  is!  As  we  gaze  on  it,  we  can  readily 
voice  John  Ruskin's  statement,  "When  Titian 
looks  at  a  human  being  he  sees  at  a  glance  the 
whole  nature,  outside  and  in;  all  that  it  has  of 
form,  of  colour,  of  passion,  or  of  thought;  saint- 
liness  and  loveliness;  fleshly  body  and  spiritual 
power;  grace  or  strength,  or  softness,  or  what- 
soever other  quality,  he  will  see  to  the  full,  and 
so  paint,  that,  when  narrow  people  come  to  look 
at  what  he  has  done,  every  one  may,  if  he  choose, 
find  his  own  special  pleasure  in  the  work." 

Of  Raphael's  pictures  in  this  Carre  gallery 
possibly  we  love  best  his  "Madonna  of  the  Gar- 
den." Into  this  lovely  idyl,  painted  just  after 
he  became  of  age,  the  artist  has  introduced  the 
little  St.  John,  thus  giving  a  wider  range  to  his 
portrayal  of  the  child's  activities.  In  his  earlier 
compositions  the  baby  Jesus  was  simply  held 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

by  the  Mother,  but  now  in  the  group  idea  he  has 
presented  a  picture  of  child-life  that  pleases  be- 
cause of  its  simple  truthfulness.  The  pyramidal 
character  of  the  composition  is  entirely  natural, 
for  the  standing  and  kneeling  children  form  a 
broad  base  and  the  Madonna  sitting  between 
them  is  just  the  right  height  to  complete  the 
triangular  figure.  It  is  not  the  symmetry  of 
the  painting  that  most  attracts  us.  however,  but 
the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  group  and  the  lovely 
landscape  setting.  The  two  children  are  among 
the  best  of  Raphael's  delightful  delineations  of 
child-life.  In  form  and  pose  the  little  Jesus 
equals  the  statues  of  the  old  Greek  masters,  while 
the  unconscious  adoration  of  the  little  St.  John 
has  the  spiritual  element  of  Fra  Angelico. 

Ten  years  later  Raphael  painted  the  "Holy 
Family  of  Francis  I.,"  hanging  near  the  "Madonna 
of  the  Garden."  This  picture  is  considered  one 
of  the  richest  in  colour,  the  most  dramatic  in  the 
portrayal  of  motion  and  the  fulness  and  delicacy 
of  drapery,  and  the  most  careful  in  execution  of 
all  of  the  master's  works.  Certainly  the  "Holy 
Family"  has  never  been  more  true  to  the  ideals 
of  home,  where  the  family  and  nearest  kindred 
meet  together,  than  in  this  homely  group  of 
Joseph,  Mary,  and  the  little  Jesus,  with  Elizabeth 
and  St.  John. 

In  Raphael's  "St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon" 


FIG.  92.     St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon.     Raphael.     Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.   94.     St.    Augustine  and    his    Mother. 
Scheffer.     Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.    93.       Marriage   of    St.    Catharine. 
Louvre,  Paris. 


Correggio. 


PARTS 

(Fig.  92),  we  find  a  hackneyed  subject  treated 
artistically  and  dramatically.  Notice  how  lightly 
and  swiftly  the  archangel  descends  upon  the  grov- 
elling dragon  and  takes  him  unawares  in  his  rocky 
retreat.  Not  by  physical  force  does  St.  Michael 
hold  the  archfiend  captive,  but  as  the  mightiest 
of  created  spirits,  with  unlimited  power  over 
the  wiles  of  the  devil.  Raphael's  conception  of  the 
archangel  "like  unto  God,"  is  a  pure,  undefiled 
youth  with  a  well-balanced  three-fold  nature 
consecrated  to  the  destruction  of  evil.  The 
trained  body  finds  no  obstacle  in  the  rock-bound 
coast;  the  alert  mind  discovers  the  obscure 
hiding-place  of  the  Evil  One,  and  the  undaunted 
spirit  fears  no  defeat  in  the  single-handed  con- 
flict. Raphael  painted  this  picture  for  King 
Francis  I.,  of  France,  in  1518. 

We  now  come  to  Correggio's  "  Marriage  of 
St.  Catherine"  (Fig.  93),  one  of  his  most  beau- 
tiful religious  pictures.  Legend  says  that  Cath- 
erine, the  maiden  queen  of  Egypt,  was  not  pleased 
with  any  of  her  numerous  lovers.  In  her  dream 
one  night  the  Virgin  appeared  with  the  divine 
Child  in  her  arms.  Catherine  felt  at  once  that 
this  Child  was  to  be  her  future  bridegroom, 
but  to  her  sorrow  he  turned  away  from  her.  She 
then  sought  a  Christian  hermit  and  became  con- 
verted. Again  she  dreamed  that  the  Virgin  came 
to  her,  and  this  time  the  Holy  Child  brought  a 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

marriage  ring  and  placed  it  on  her  finger.  She 
awoke  with  joy  to  find  the  ring  really  as  she  had 
dreamed.  The  picture  is  full  of  gladness  and  the 
happy  spirit  of  abandon,  yet  with  little  spiritual 
significance  to  mark  it  as  a  sacred  subject.  Even 
St.  Christopher,  who  is  witnessing  the  betrothal, 
resembles  Apollo  more  than  a  saint. 

Before  leaving  the  Carre  gallery  we  must  look 
at  those  marvellous  compositions  by  Veronese, 
"The  Marriage  at  Cana,"  and  " Christ  in  the 
House  of  Simon  the  Pharisee."  "The  Marriage 
at  Cana,"  finished  in  1563,  was  probably  painted 
to  celebrate  the  marriage  of  Eleanor  of  Austria 
to  William  Gonzaga,  which  occurred  in  1561. 
The  guests  at  the  tables  are  evidently  portraits 
of  prominent  personages  of  the  artist's  time, 
but  to  identify  them  individually  is  a  matter  of 
conjecture.  The  musicians  in  the  foreground 
are  portraits  of  the  Venetian  painters  then  living. 
Veronese  himself  is  the  man  in  white  who  plays 
the  viol;  behind  him  is  Tintoretto  with  a  similar 
instrument,  and  on  the  other  side  Titian  with  a 
base- viol,  and  the  elder  Bassano  with  a  flute. 

We  will  now  go  to  a  picture  interesting  to  us 
because  of  its  subject,  "St.  Augustine  and  his 
Mother,  Monica,"  by  Scheffer  (Fig.  94).  There 
is  nothing  attractive  in  the  cold  colour,  the  hard 
drawing,  the  strained  and  awkward  positions  of 
the  mother  and  son,  yet  the  sincerity  and  deep 


FIG.  95.     Immaculate  Conception.    Murillo.    Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  96.     Coronation  of  the  Virgin.    Fra  Angelico.     Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

religious  feeling  in  the  upturned  faces  touch  a 
responsive  chord  in  our  hearts.  The  devoted 
Christian  mother  at  last  has  had  her  prayers 
answered,  for  the  dissipated  son  has  been  brought 
into  the  kingdom.  St.  Augustine  became  one 
of  the  greatest  fathers  in  the  Church  during  the 
fifth  century,  and  to-day  is  revered  as  the  patron 
saint  of  theologians  and  learned  men. 

Murillo's  " Immaculate  Conception"  (Fig.  95) 
is  probably  the  most  popular  picture  in  the  Louvre 
to  the  lay  public.  Moreover,  this  beautiful  Vir- 
gin, gazing  into  heaven  with  the  half -moon  under 
her  feet,  is  certainly  a  lovely  child.  Nothing 
could  be  more  graceful  than  the  deep  blue  mantle 
concealing  and  revealing  the  soft  white  robe 
beneath  it.  The  setting  of  blue  sky  and  fleecy 
clouds,  and  the  delicate  soft  pink  of  the  baby 
throng  make  a  charming  picture  indeed.  But 
is  there  any  depth  in  the  excessive  sweetness  of 
the  doll-baby  face?  Can  you  conceive  of  that 
simple  child  saying,  "  Behold,  the  hand-maid  of 
the  Lord;  be  it  unto  me  according  to  thy  word"? 
Is  this  the  Virgin  unto  whom  shall  be  born  one 
whose  "Name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Coun- 
sellor, the  mighty  God,  the  everlasting  Father, 
the  Prince  of  Peace"?  Murillo's  religious  pic- 
tures savour  too  much  of  sentimentalism  to  give 
true  spiritual  food,  especially  those  of  the  imma- 
culate conception. 

[127] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

How  quickly  we  feel  the  spirit  of  genuine 
religious  fervour  in  Era  Angelico's  "  Coronation 
of  the  Virgin"  (Fig.  96).  Here  is  none  of  the 
beauty  of  form,  grace  of  pose,  and  artistic  arrange- 
ment of  drapery,  but  spiritual  sincerity  breathes 
from  every  line.  Notice  how  delicately  the  artist 
has  portrayed  the  smallest  detail  in  the  Gothic 
throne,  and  how  tenderly  and  lovingly  each  jewel 
is  placed  in  the  crown  of  the  divine  Mother  and 
risen  Son.  Era  Angelico  used  his  art  to  advance 
the  religion  of  Christ,  and  every  stroke  of  his 
brush  was  made  after  a  prayer  for  Divine  guidance. 
No  one  could  question  the  spirit  of  true  devotion 
in  such  a  work  of  art;  the  childlike  character 
of  the  theme  and  simplicity  in  executing  the 
thought  warm  our  hearts  and  bring  us  nearer 
to  holy  aspirations. 

This  picture  was  taken  from  the  church  of 
San  Domenico,  Fiesole,  Italy,  during  the  inva- 
sion of  the  French  in  1812,  and  carried  to  Paris. 


XIX 

PARIS— LOUVRE  (Continued) 

IN  studying  Corot's  "Dance  of  the  Nymphs" 
(Fig.  97),  we  feel  a  peculiar  joyousness  in 
the  artist's  love  for  the  big  out-of-doors.  Corot 
was  a  veritable  child  of  nature,  hence  always  called 
the  happy  one  of  the  Barbizon  group  of  artists. 
The  nymphs  are  not  the  only  dancers  in  this 
sylvan  scene,  for  the  leaves  are  dancing  on  the 
branches,  the  flowers  are  dancing  in  the  grass,  and 
the  little  clouds  are  dancing  as  they  scud  across 
the  blue  sky.  Who  has  ever  painted  such  trees 
before  or  since — trees  filled  with  the  glory  of  the 
noonday  sun,  dripping  with  the  evening  dew,  and 
sparkling  in  the  morning  light?  Corot  himself 
says  in  explaining  how  to  appreciate  his  pictures: 
"To  really  get  into  my  landscapes  you  must  wait 
— wait  till  the  mists  have  cleared  a  little.  Be 
patient!  You  can't  see  the  whole  at  first;  but 
gradually,  by-and-by,  you  will  get  in;  and  then 
I  am  sure  you  will  be  pleased."  And  who  was 
ever  disappointed  with  a  Corot  landscape  ? 

How    quickly    we    feel    the    living,    breathing 
element  in  Troyon's  "Cattle  Going  to  Work" 
[129] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

(Fig.  98).  They  tramp  over  the  broken  ground 
with  all  the  lumbering  patience  characteristic  of 
oxen  in  real  life.  The  long  shadows  and  con- 
densed breath  of  the  early  morning  harmonize 
well  with  the  misty  atmosphere  that  broods  over 
the  whole  scene.  This  French  peasant  is  no 
laggard  in  meeting  the  sun  as  it  peeps  above  the 
horizon.  Troyon's  largeness  of  conception  and 
freedom  of  touch  are  qualities  that  make  his 
pictures  well  understood  by  the  general  public. 
He  appeals  to  that  great  majority  who  feel  the 
truth  though  they  may  not  know  how  to  express 
their  thoughts  in  words.  We  might  really  class 
Troyon  with  the  landscape-painters  pure  and  sim- 
ple, save  that  his  love  for  animals  has  made  him 
portray  them  with  such  personal  traits  that  to 
remove  even  one  would  mar  the  beauty  and  unity 
of  the  whole  landscape. 

One  of  the  most  classic  pictures  of  the 
eighteenth-century  French  paintings  is  David's 
"Madame  Recamier"  (Fig.  99).  The  purity 
of  thought  and  simplicity  of  pose  in  the  compo- 
sition are  charming.  How  entirely  satisfactory 
is  the  severely  plain  white  gown  against  the  pale 
yellow  couch  and  neutral  background!  The  tiny 
Roman  lamp  on  the  tall  standard  sending  forth 
its  faint  cloud  of  incense  is  a  fitting  accessory  to 
the  bewitching  charms  of  this  famous  woman. 
No  one  who  is  at  all  familiar  with  Napoleonic 


FIG.  98.    Cattle  Going  to  Work.     Troyon.      Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  99.     Madame  Recamier.    David,    Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

days  in  France  can  ever  forget  those  two  mar- 
vellous women — Madame  de  Stael  and  Madame 
Recamier,  and  the  part  they  played  in  those  stir- 
ring times.  Madame  Recamier  was  always  true 
to  her  country,  although  she  refused  to  become 
a  lady  attendant  to  Josephine  and  was  finally 
banished  from  Paris  by  Napoleon  because  of 
her  lack  of  sympathy  with  all  his  schemes  and 
the  intolerant  character  of  some  of  her  brilliant 
receptions.  It  is  said,  however,  that  when  Wel- 
lington, the  victor  at  Waterloo,  came  to  pay 
his  respects  to  her,  she  forbade  him  her  house. 
David's  portrayal  of  this  beautiful  and  powerful 
diplomat  shows  that  it  was  nevertheless  a  womanly 
woman  who  exerted  the  influence  that  Napoleon 
feared. 

Another  striking  "Portrait  of  Madame  Reca- 
mier," in  the  Louvre,  is  by  Gerard,  a  pupil  of  David. 
The  portrait  is  a  fine  example  of  the  artist's  grace 
and  good  taste  in  the  delineation  of  the  charms 
of  a  beautiful  woman.  There  is  a  little  less  of 
the  classic  severity  of  the  master  and  a  trifle 
more  warmth  in  the  personal  traits  of  the 
woman. 

Still  another  influential  woman  during  Napo- 
leon's reign  was  Madame  Lebrun,  the  artist.  As 
we  look  at  the  "Portrait  of  the  Artist  and  her 
Daughter"  (Fig.  100),  many  scenes  in  her  check- 
ered career  come  before  us.  This  gifted  woman 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

was  endowed  with  every  personal  charm,  but 
domestic  misfortune  was  her  portion  through  life. 
Her  husband,  though  clever  and  a  great  lover 
of  art,  was  a  spendthrift  and  gambler.  Almost 
from  the  beginning  of  their  wedded  life  he  de- 
manded her  earnings,  even  compelling  her  to 
unceasing  labour  that  he  might  live  in  elegance, 
while  she  oftentimes  was  nearly  destitute.  But 
her  cramped  quarters  of  two  or  three  rooms  were 
the  delight  of  the  cultured,  and  her  little  daughter 
for  a  time  was  her  daily  comfort.  Still  more 
sadness  was  in  store  for  the  brave  woman,  for 
the  daughter  became  estranged  from  her  mother 
through  marriage  to  a  scheming  husband.  Ma- 
dame Lebrun,  banished  from  France  by  Napo- 
leon, visited  many  countries,  and  her  personal 
charms  and  amazing  talents  always  brought  her 
patronage  from  the  royal  families.  She  prob- 
ably painted  the  portraits  of  more  crowned  heads 
of  Europe  than  any  other  artist  who  ever  lived. 
In  no  picture,  however,  has  she  shown  greater 
skill  than  in  this  portrait  of  herself  and  little 
daughter.  The  tenderness  of  motherhood  and 
the  innocence  of  childhood  are  expressed  with 
the  truth  and  sincerity  that  at  once  awaken  our 
interest  and  hold  our  attention.  Also  the  model- 
ling of  the  flesh  is  superb  and  the  colour  blending 
exquisite. 
A  particularly  startling  picture  is  Ghirlandajo's 


FIG.  100.     Artist  and  Daughter.     Madame  Lebrun.     Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  101.     Old  Man  and  Boy.    Ghirlandajo.    Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

"Old  Man  and  Boy"  (Fig.  101).  You  will  ex- 
claim at  once,  "What  an  awful  nose!"  but  why 
not  say,  "What  a  beautiful  child!"  Who  but  a 
master  in  portraiture  could  have  selected  a  sub- 
ject with  so  startling  a  personal  defect  and  given 
to  the  world  a  portrait  that  has  not  the  least  hint 
of  caricature?  Look  for  a  moment  at  the  way 
the  artist  has  centred  the  interest  in  the  lovely 
child;  he  is  perfectly  unconscious  that  his  hero 
has  any  defect  at  all.  Only  the  purest  love  and 
trust  shine  on  that  innocent  boyish  face,  while  a 
tender  expression  of  pleased  interest  hovers 
around  the  old  man's  mouth.  Surely  Ghirlandajo 
has  produced  a  masterpiece  in  the  portraits  of 
this  curiously  ill-assorted  pair.  The  brilliant  red 
of  the  boy's  cap  is  in  striking  contrast  to  his  golden 
curls  and  shell- tinted  skin,  but  most  satisfactory 
as  a  foil  to  the  old  man's  affliction.  The  bit  of 
landscape  seen  through  the  window  is  rather 
stiff  and  formal,  yet  the  open  space  adds  breadth 
and  depth  to  the  picture.  The  visitor  lingers 
before  this  painting  fascinated  by  the  kind  benevo- 
lence of  the  old  face  and  the  loving  trustfulness 
of  his  wee  companion. 

One  of  the  rooms  of  peculiar  interest  in  the 
Louvre  is  Rubens'  gallery  of  eighteen  immense 
canvases  portraying  allegorically  the  life  of  Maria 
de'  Medici.  This  masterful  queen,  the  widow 
of  Henry  IV.  of  France,  was  regent  for  her  son 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

Louis  XIII.  from  1610  to  1617.  At  her  request, 
Rubens  went  to  Paris  and  designed  the  series  of 
paintings  which  were  intended  for  the  embel- 
lishment of  the  queen's  Luxembourg  palace. 
The  story  told  in  the  pictures  begins  with  the 
Three  Fates  spinning  the  fortunes  of  Maria  de' 
Medici ;  the  scenes  then  pass  on  depicting  Henry 
IV.  falling  in  love  with  Maria's  portrait;  the 
nuptials;  the  wedding-festivities  where  the  king 
appears  as  Jupiter  and  the  queen  as  Juno;  the 
birth  of  Louis  XIII.;  the  king  entrusting  the 
regency  to  the  queen ;  the  apotheosis  of  Henry  IV. ; 
the  queen  crowned  by  Victory;  the  quarrel  with 
her  son  Louis  XIII. ;  the  reconciliation;  and 
Maria  de7  Medici  and  Louis  XIII.  in  Olympia. 
The  paintings  show  Rubens'  surprising  versa- 
tility in  design  and  his  usual  exuberance  of  ani- 
mal spirits  in  both  gods  and  mortals.  After 
making  the  sketches  for  the  pictures  Rubens 
took  them  to  Antwerp,  where  with  the  aid  of  his 
pupils  he  finished  the  paintings,  always  adding 
the  final  touches  himself. 

Mantegna's  "Mt.  Parnassus"  (Fig.  102)  is 
wonderfully  rich  in  legendary  lore,  although  this 
quality  is  ever  held  subordinate  to  the  monu- 
mental qualities  of  the  picture.  Montegna  stood 
second  to  none  in  the  fifteenth  century.  He 
studied  under  Donatello,  the  master  sculptor, 
thus  perfecting  his  great  love  for  form  and  acquir- 


FIG.  103.     Charles  I.  and  his  Horse.    Van  Dyck.     Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

ing  a  scientific  knowledge  of  drawing  and  per- 
spective. These  acquirements,  together  with  his 
vivid  imagination,  enabled  him  to  put  on  canvas 
pictures  that  are  truly  monumental  in  composi- 
tion and  arrangement.  Note  how  effectively 
he  has  distributed  the  various  groups  on  Mt. 
Parnassus,  giving  to  each  person  some  distin- 
guishing characteristic.  On  the  top  of  the  mount 
stands  Venus  with  her  devoted  admirer  Mars; 
near  them  is  her  son,  Cupid,  shooting  arrows 
at  poor  Vulcan,  the  love-sick  husband  of  the 
indifferent  Venus.  Vulcan  stands  on  the  ledge 
below  at  the  left,  while  beneath  him  sits  Apollo 
playing  for  the  Muses  as  they  dance  in  the  fore- 
ground. At  the  right  is  Mercury  by  the  side  of 
the  grateful  Pegasus.  One  must  recall  the  story 
of  Pegasus  to  really  appreciate  how  much  the 
artist  has  condensed  into  those  two  figures.  After 
Perseus  cut  off  the  head  of  Medusa,  so  legend 
says,  Pegasus  sprang  into  existence  from  the 
gushing  blood.  When  Minerva  saw  the  beauti- 
ful, winged  steed  she  tamed  him  and  presented 
him  to  the  Muses,  thus  placing  him  ever  at  the  ser- 
vice of  poets;  but  a  needy  poet  sold  the  glorious 
animal  and  he  was  put  to  the  plough  by  his  stupid 
owner.  Poor  Pegasus  was  not  fit  for  such  lowly 
service  and  soon  began  to  droop  until  his  clownish 
master  was  at  his  wits'  end.  One  day  Mercury 
passed  that  way  and,  recognising  the  gifted  animal. 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

asked  that  he  might  try  the  jaded  horse.  On 
mounting  his  back  new  life  thrilled  through  the 
noble  steed  and  with  raised  wings  he  soared 
aloft,  bearing  the  god  lightly  to  the  land  of  far 
away. 

"  Charles  I.  and  his  Horse,"  by  Van  Dyck 
(Fig.  103),  is  nearly  as  familiar  a  picture  to  the 
general  sightseer  as  the  same  artist's  "Baby 
Stuart."  As  a  picture  portrait  this  painting  has 
few  equals;  the  composition  is  varied,  the  drawing 
excellent,  the  colour  pleasing.  Possibly  the  face  of 
the  king  is  a  little  florid,  yet  the  air  of  perfect 
harmony  of  king,  attendants,  horse,  and  land- 
scape is  satisfying.  Van  Dyck  was  indeed 
a  prince  among  painters  in  portraiture,  although 
it  is  doubtful  if  he  could  ever  have  stood — he  died 
at  forty- two — with  Titian,  Velasquez,  and  Rem- 
brandt. He  painted  with  a  rapidity  almost  be- 
yond belief.  An  anecdote  is  told  of  his  visit  to 
Franz  Hals  who  was  about  twenty  years  his 
senior.  Van  Dyck  asked  the  Dutch  artist  to 
paint  his  portrait;  Hals  accepted  the  commission 
without  learning  the  name  of  his  sitter.  Van 
Dyck  watched  with  interest  the  rapid  brush  strokes 
of  the  great  artist.  When  the  portrait  was  fin- 
ished at. one  sitting,  Van  Dyck,  with  an  innocent 
air,  asked  Hals  to  let  him  paint  his  portrait.  Hals 
assented  and  took  his  seat  for  the  work  to  begin 
at  once.  Van  Dyck  was  careful  to  place  his  easel 


PARIS 

so  that  Hals  could  not  see  the  progress  of  the 
work.  In  an  hour  Van  Dyck  announced,  "Your 
portrait  is  finished."  When  the  astonished  Hals 
saw  the  painting,  he  exclaimed:  "Either  you  are 
the  devil  or  Van  Dyck!" 


[i37] 


XX 

PARIS— LOUVRE  (Continued) 

\X7HEN  Rembrandt's  burdens  were  the  heav- 
iest he  painted  "The  Supper  at  Emmaus" 
(Fig.  104).  His  beloved  Saskia  was  dead,  his 
friends  had  forsaken  him,  his  patrons  had  de- 
serted him,  and  his  enemies  had  left  him  in  poverty, 
yet  his  art  had  grown  the  deeper  and  purer  withal 
as  his  earthly  possessions  departed.  The  study 
of  humanity  became  almost  a  passion  with  him 
in  his  isolation ;  he  sought  for  the  poor  and  forlorn, 
the  old  and  infirm,  the  crippled  and  the  forsaken, 
and  with  brush  and  etching-needle  pictured  his 
impressions,  thus  giving  to  the  world  treasures 
of  inestimable  value.  Never  have  the  words 
of  the  Prophet  Isaiah— "He  hath  no  form  nor 
comeliness" — been  more  truthfully  depicted  than  in 
Rembrandt's  "Christ  at  Emmaus."  On  the 
blessed  face  of  the  Christ  are  impressed  the  sins 
and  burdens  of  rebellious  humanity  and  also  the 
divine  pity  of  the  Redeemer.  The  rich  low  tones 
of  golden  brown,  shading  away  from  the  Saviour 
as  the  central  light,  so  envelop  the  other  figures 
that  the  glory  of  the  risen  Lord  seems  to  give 

1 138  ] 


FIG.  104.     Supper  at  Emmaus.    Rembrandt.    Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  105.     L'Infanta  Marguerite.     Velasquez.     Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

warmth  and  gladness  to  their  awakening  hearts. 
An  expression  of  wondering  recognition  is  stealing 
over  the  faces  of  the  listening  disciples,  and  the 
boy  at  the  Saviour's  left  lingers  as  though  to  learn 
the  meaning  of  the  scene.  Where  else  in  all  art 
has  this  singular  supper  been  portrayed  with  such 
depth  of  spiritual  significance  ? 

Velasquez's  "  Portrait  of  L'Infante  Margue- 
rite" (Fig.  105)  is  another  picture  almost  as  well 
known  as  is  Van  Dyck's  "Baby  Stuart."  It  is 
said  that  Velasquez  was  the  painter  of  men,  par 
excellence,  but  surely  he  knew  the  inner  life  of 
the  child  as  well.  This  earnest  little  princess 
is  so  child-like  in  her  genuine  interest  in  the  ob- 
ject which  holds  her  attention  that  one  almost 
forgets  this  is  a  portrait  and  wonders  what  attracts 
her.  The  sweet  simplicity  of  the  round  baby- 
face  and  the  steady  gaze  of  the  wide-open  eyes  are 
characteristic  of  little  girlhood.  Velasquez  must 
have  known  much  of  the  daily  life  of  the  royal 
infant  and  have  found  favour  in  her  sight,  too,  or 
he  could  not  have  given  such  an  accurate  picture 
of  her  charms.  Reynolds  is  the  only  other  artist 
who  has  pictured  the  little  miss  of  six  summers  with 
so  sympathetic  a  brush. 

Gerard  Dou's  "Dropsical  Woman"  (Fig.  106) 
is  another  picture  that  has  acquired  a  reputation 
scarcely  justified  by  its  artistic  value.  If  to  differ- 
entiate the  smallest  detail  of  every  article  of  fur- 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

niture  is  great  art,  then  Dou  is  great;  but  if  true 
art  presents  universal  truths  through  a  big  com- 
prehension of  world  truths,  then  Dou  is  great 
only  in  " little  things."  From  the  title  "  Dropsi- 
cal Woman/'  one  understands  that  anxious 
thought,  careful  attention,  and  forebodings  of 
sorrow  are  the  sentiments  most  prominent  in  the 
picture.  The  little  group  in  the  centre  of  the 
room  ought  naturally  to  claim  the  attention; 
but  notice  how  the  eye  wanders  to  the  careful 
details  of  the  curtain,  chandelier,  window,  or- 
naments, and  doctor's  flask — all  these  objects 
have  received,  apparently,  the  same  thought  as 
the  patient,  the  doctor,  and  the  grief-stricken  girl. 
We  concede  that  Dou  painted  the  effect  of  candle- 
light on  objects  and  the  sparkle  and  glint  on 
brass  kettles  in  a  remarkable  manner — in  fact, 
to  be  as  "bright  as  Dou's  copper  kettles "  has 
passed  into  a  proverb.  It  is  said  that  he  was  so 
exact  and  painstaking  in  his  work  that  he  often 
used  a  diminishing-glass  to  bring  objects  he  was 
copying  to  the  same  scale  as  his  picture.  To 
study  his  paintings  with  a  magnifying-glass 
reveals  an  exquisite  delicacy  of  workmanship 
fascinating  to  those  who  love  exact  reproductions. 
But  does  such  work,  we  ask,  reveal  the  individual 
traits  of  the  artist  or  the  model? 

It  would  be  hard  to  imagine  a  greater  differ- 
ence of  treatment  than  between  Van  Ostade's 
[140] 


FIG.  106.     Dropsical  Woman.    Dou.     Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  107.     Fish  Market.    Ostade.    Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  108.     Officer  and  Young  Woman.    Ter  Borch.    Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

"Fish  Market "  (Fig.  107),  and  Gerard  Dou's 
paintings.  Adriaan  van  Ostade  placed  his  easel 
among  the  common  work-a-day  people  and  por- 
trayed scenes  at  times  quite  disgusting  in  them- 
selves, yet  by  his  clever  workmanship  raised  en- 
tirely away  from  the  ugly  or  degraded.  Indeed, 
a  "Fish  Market"  or  any  flesh- vendors'  stalls  are 
not  artistically  attractive,  but  what  could  be 
more  charming  than  this  little  corner?  The  man 
and  his  fish  are  simply  captivating.  The  warm, 
mellow  light  illumines  the  man's  dull  clothes  and 
glistens  on  his  florid  face  and  hands  until  they 
respond  to  the  reflection  from  the  glittering 
scales  on  the  dead  fish.  The  close  partnership 
between  the  dealer  and  his  wares  ennobles  his 
calling.  Gladly  we  would  give  this  picture  the 
place  of  honour  in  the  dining-room  of  our  homes. 
We  turn  to  Ter  Borch's  "Officer  Offering 
Money  to  a  Young  Woman"  (Fig.  108),  and  find 
the  same  breadth  of  treatment,  although  Ter 
Borch  was  an  aristocrat  and  usually  chose  his 
scenes  from  among  the  people  of  refinement  and 
culture.  Van  Ostade,  on  the  other  hand,  pictured 
the  doings  of  the  ale-house  and  the  tavern.  Each 
artist  was  a  genius;  from  their  pictures  we  can 
reproduce  the  actual  daily  life  of  the  people  of 
Holland  during  the  seventeenth  century.  Fro- 
mentin  says  of  the  picture  before  us,  "It  is  one 
of  the  finest  Dutch  works  that  the  Louvre  owns." 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

Certainly  the  brush-work  is  perfect;  with  thought- 
ful care  he  has  noted  details,  but  without  the  least 
pettiness;  clear  and  well-defined  are  the  figures, 
but  wholly  enveloped  by  the  palpitating  atmos- 
phere of  the  room.  Those  people  live  and  their 
humanity  is  the  keynote  that  touches  the  heart. 
Ter  Borch  seldom  places  many  objects  or  pieces 
of  furniture  with  his  two  or  three  persons,  but 
he  makes  those  few  pieces  an  intimate  part  of 
the  scene.  His  sense  of  selection  and  discrimi- 
nation is  so  keen  that  nothing  superfluous  is 
dragged  in  for  effect.  What  a  commentary  on 
furniture-crowded,  bric-a-brac-smothered  rooms 
his  pictures  would  be  if  they  could  only  be  hung 
on  the  walls  in  such  homes!  Simplicity  and  self- 
restraint  seem  to  be  the  watchwords  in  all  his 
pictures.  Ter  Borch  was  a  finished  workman 
and  painted  small  pictures,  still  his  handling  was 
broad  and  full. 

One  of  the  very  popular  pictures  of  the  Dutch 
school  in  the  Louvre  is  Go  vert  Flinck's  "Por- 
trait of  a  Young  Girl"  (Fig.  109).  Flinck  was 
not  only  a  pupil  of  Rembrandt,  but  his  personal 
friend.  It  was  while  under  the  influence  of  the 
great  master  that  he  painted  this  beautiful  child. 
She  belongs  to  no  special  country  or  nation  but 
is  Nature's  product  and,  like  a  flower,  is  claimed 
by  all  who  love  the  grace  and  simplicity  of  child- 
hood. There  is  something  of  Rembrandt's  man- 


FIG.  109.     Young  Girl.    Flinck.    Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  110.     The  Blessing.    Chardin.     Louvre,  Paris. 


FIG.  111.    Helena  Fourment  and  Children.    Rubens. 
Louvre,  Paris. 


PARIS 

ner  about  the  drapery,  yet  Flinck  has  not  sacri- 
ficed his  own  individuality.  The  colouring  is 
especially  choice  in  rich,  low  tones  and  the  flesh 
tints  glow  with  warmth  and  life.  If  Flinck  had 
only  remained  true  to  himself  and  his  master  he 
might  have  developed  into  an  artist  worthy  of  a 
place  near  Rembrandt;  but  public  approval  was 
more  to  him  than  the  teachings  of  the  master 
who  at  that  period  was  losing  his  popularity. 
Flinck  turned  to  the  more  recent  idols  of  the  fickle 
multitude — Murillo  and  Rubens — and  soon  be- 
came so  popular  as  a  portrait-painter  that  he  was 
unable  to  fill  the  orders  that  poured  in  on  him. 
Such  popularity  brought  reputation  but  not  last- 
ing fame. 

One  of  the  dearest  little  genre  pictures  of  the 
early  French  school  is  Chardin's  "The  Blessing" 
(Fig.  1 10),  in  the  Louvre.  His  pictures  portraying 
the  lowly  in  life  became  the  rage  in  Paris  and 
for  awhile  were  the  gems  of  the  exhibitions  in 
the  Salon.  The  great  popularity  of  his  scenes 
of  domestic  life  made  it  possible  for 'the  engraver 
to  reproduce  them  at  prices  within  the  reach  of  the 
very  people  whose  lives  he  was  depicting.  Chardin 
came  at  a  time  when  the  court  and  nobility  of 
France  were  simply  playing  at  living  and  most  of 
the  artists  were  catering  to  their  foibles;  his  truth- 
fulness in  portraying  scenes  from  real  life  was  just 
the  element  to  counteract  the  insincerity  and  in- 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

sipidity  that  were  beginning  to  pall  on  satiated 
royalty.  This  homely  scene  of  "The  Blessing" 
must  have  come  like  bread  to  a  cake-sick  people. 
The  arrangement  of  the  composition  is  simplicity 
itself;  the  element  of  absolute  truth  that  the  tiny 
suppliant  represents,  while  with  folded  hands 
she  repeats  the  blessing,  includes  every  beholder 
in  the  petition.  The  colour,  light,  shade,  and 
harmony  of  this  little  gem  are  prefect.  What 
a  rare  blessing  such  a  picture  would  bring  were 
it  hung  where  our  children  could  feel  its  influence 
at  every  meal  of  the  day ! 

The  charm  of  Rubens'  "Helen  Fourment  and 
Her  Two  Children"  (Fig.  in)  lies  in  the  sweet 
unconsciousness  of  the  little  girl  and  the  pert 
"lord  of  creation"  attitude  of  the  boy.  Rubens 
here  represents  the  prevalent  opinion  that  exists 
even  to  the  present  day  in  Europe  regarding  the 
superior  position  of  the  boy  over  the  girl  in  the 
household.  The  mother,  Rubens'  second  wife, 
doubtless  shared  the  belief,  for  her  pride  in  her 
son  is  as  evident  as  the  neglect  of  her  timid  little 
daughter;  yet  after  all  it  is  the  shy  little  girl  with 
her  apron  full  of  flowers,  perhaps,  that  appeals 
to  our  hearts;  she  is  so  perfectly  self -forgetful  in 
her  innocent  attention  to  the  other  two.  Rubens 
must  have  taken  great  delight  in  painting  this 
child-wife,  now  but  twenty,  and  her  lovely  chil- 
dren. He  has  not  only  watched  the  growth  of 


PARIS 

this  boy  and  girl  with  the  eye  of  a  parent,  but 
has  probably  seen  in  the  workings  of  their  minds 
many  things  that  reminded  him  of  his  own  child- 
hood days.  The  heads  in  the  picture  are  the  only 
finished  portions  and  in  them  his  painting  of 
flesh  is  again  superb.  No  wonder  that  it  has 
been  said  of  him,  "His  flesh  colours  alone  baffled 
every  one  of  his  pupils  and  imitators." 


XXI 

PARIS— LUXEMBOURG 

WE  of  America  are  justly  proud  that  Whist- 
ler's "My  Mother"  (Fig.  112)  is  one  of 
the  greatest  treasures  of  the  Luxembourg  gallery. 
Yes,  that  dear  old  lady  is  a  mother  in  Israel,  for 
she  stands  for  world-motherhood.  Whistler  was 
wont  to  call  the  picture  an  "Arrangement  in 
Grey  and  Black."  We  protest,  however,  that 
the  public  cares  very  little  about  its  being  an 
"Arrangement  in  Grey  and  Black,"  but  insist  that 
it  does  recognise  the  mother  element  in  the  calm, 
gentle  old  lady  quietly  meditating  as  she  sits  with 
folded  hands  and  peaceful  face.  That  "Mother" 
ought  to  find  a  place  in  every  home  in  America; 
she  is  our  mother  and  we  need  her  blessed  in- 
fluence. If  Whistler  had  painted  but  this  one 
picture  his  fame  would  have  been  secure,  the 
same  as  Thomas  Gray's  for  his  "Elegy."  The 
perfect  simplicity  of  the  composition  is  "the  result 
of  the  studies  of  a  lifetime,"  as  the  artist  himself 
has  expressed  it.  Little  wonder,  therefore,  that 
he  excelled  in  giving  his  pictures  the  "maximum 
effect  with  the  minimum  of  effort." 
[146] 


FIG.  113.    Carfnencita.    Sargent.    Luxembourg,  Paris. 


PARIS 

Naturally  we  turn  next  to  Sargent's  "Carmen- 
cita-'  (Fig.  113),  for  we  are  gratified  that  another 
of  our  own  artists  has  received  honour  in  the 
Luxembourg.  Coming  into  the  room  where  this 
painting  hangs,  one  feels  as  though  the  famous 
dancer  had  just  stepped  out  before  us  on  the  bril- 
liantly lighted  stage.  Her  deliciously  coloured 
gown,  which  has  caught  the  light  of  a  thousand 
candles,  glitters  and  sparkles  until  our  eyes  are 
dazzled  with  the  lustre  of  the  fabric.  Her  jet- 
black  hair  gleaming  in  unison  with  her  flashing 
eyes  intensifies  the  warm  glow  of  the  living  flesh 
of  her  face  and  arms.  Entirely  free  from  man- 
nerism, this  glorious  creature  represents  the  acme 
of  the  ballet  dancer.  Carmencita  often  appeared 
before  Paris  art-students,  but  it  is  said  that  her 
husband  always  hovered  near,  for  no  Spaniard 
ever  permits  the  least  shadow  of  suspicion  to 
fall  on  his  wife. 

Another  American  artist,  Henry  Mosler,  is 
represented  in  "The  Prodigal's  Return,"  in  the 
Luxembourg.  Mosler  has  told  the  old,  old  story, 
varying  it  in  his  own  original  manner,  with  a 
pathos  and  sincerity  that  touch  every  heart. 
The  note  of  despair  that  cries  out  from  every  line 
of  the  prostrate  boy,  who  has  come  too  late  for 
forgiveness  from  the  dead  parent,  would  be  un- 
bearable were  it  not  for  the  human  sympathy  of 
the  attendant  priest.  The  expression  of  grief, 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

pity,  and  love  on  the  spiritual  face  of  that  man 
of  God  relieves  the  awful  tension  of  the  sad  scene. 

One  of  the  most  striking  pictures  in  the  Luxem- 
bourg is  Breton's  "The  Gleaner"  (Fig.  114). 
The  artist  has  here  shown  his  wonderful  power  as 
a  figure-painter.  The  charm  of  the  girl  lies  in 
her  perfect  fitness  for  the  life  of  the  gleaner  in 
the  fields.  She  stands  before  us  a  rustic  beauty, 
yet  the  appropriateness  of  the  sheaf  on  her  shoul- 
der, the  shocks  standing  near,  and  the  level  field 
stretching  away  in  the  distance  make  her  heri- 
tage secure.  Breton  could  paint  the  peasant  men 
and  women  and  give  them  personal  character- 
istics entirely  their  own.  No  one  could  mistake 
them  for  make-believe  labourers;  they  are  true 
children  of  the  soil  giving  dignity  to  whatever 
they  are  doing.  The  artist's  unfailing  belief  in 
his  mission  gave  him  a  high  standing  with  the 
French  people  and  placed  him  among  the  first 
painters  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

In  "The  Dream"  (Fig.  115),  Detaille  has  well 
illustrated  the  famous  general's  remark:  "We 
are  ready,  quite  ready;  we  miss  not  a  gaiter 
button."  He  has  elaborated  details  in  the  scene 
until  each  soldier  has  become  a  personal  element 
and  "The  Dream,"  pictured  in  the  sky,  an  in- 
dividual fancy  of  a  troubled  brain.  Unfortu- 
nately the  reproduction  does  not  portray  the 
dream  as  shown  so  delicately  in  the  painting,  where 


FIG.  114.     The  Gleaner.    Breton.     Luxembourg,  Paris. 


PARIS 

the  soldiers  are  charging  in  battle  with  realistic 
action.  Detaille  loved  battle  pieces  and  military 
scenes,  and  his  own  experience  in  the  Franco- 
Prussian  war  gave  him  just  the  material  for  his 
pictures. 

Decamps'  "Foundling"  (Fig.  116)  would  melt 
a  heart  of  stone.  That  wee  mite  of  humanity 
needs  no  words  to  plead  its  cause.  There  is 
something  elemental  in  such  a  picture;  its  appeal 
is  so  human  that  no  one  could  resist,  even  though 
fallen  to  the  depths  of  degradation.  What  could 
be  simpler  in  composition — just  a  little  baby  in 
swaddling-clothes  wrapped  in  an  old  shawl  lying 
at  the  foot  of  a  stone  step?  Its  tiny  hands  are 
held  out  to  the  passer-by  and  a  faint  smile  lights 
the  baby- face.  Could  a  more  eloquent  plea  be 
made  in  behalf  of  deserted  little  waifs  than  is 
expressed  in  this  simple  picture  of  a  homeless 
baby? 

Rosa  Bonheur  stands  second  to  none  in  her 
"Oxen  Ploughing"  (Fig.  117).  What  accurate 
knowledge  she  has  of  oxen  under  the  stress  of 
work  and  of  the  beauty  of  the  ploughed  field! 
She  knows  from  experience  that  the  second  pair  of 
oxen  at  the  plough  require  all  the  skill  of  the  driver 
to  keep  them  pulling  their  share.  Handsome  ani- 
mals they  are,  too,  and  how  they  palpitate  with 
the  life  of  the  farm!  Rosa  Bonheur  learned  her 
animal  lessons  direct  from  nature;  she  was  wont 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

to  visit  the  horse-fairs,  cattle-shows,  and  the  farms 
to  study  the  animals  in  their  natural  environment. 
No  one  ever  molested  the  clever  "boy  artist," 
as  she  was  called,  because  dressed  in  the  blouse 
and  breeches  of  the  peasant  boy;  she  came  and 
went  at  her  ease,  for  her  animal  pictures  pleased 
the  simple  folk  of  the  countryside.  The  "  Horse 
Fair,"  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  New  York 
City,  is  the  best-known  of  her  paintings,  but  even 
that  is  not  so  full  of  the  spirit  of  the  farm  as  is 
this  picture  of  the  "Oxen  Ploughing."  She  has 
here  given  the  poetry  of  common  things  and  made 
us  feel  the  joy  of  the  big  out-of-doors;  then  in 
no  country  are  the  oxen  used  at  the  plough  finer 
specimens  of  bovine  flesh  than  the  Normandy  cat- 
tle, hence  the  incentive  was  great  for  both  Troyon 
and  Rosa  Bonheur  to  make  their  oxen-pictures 
masterpieces. 

While  we  deplored  too  much  realism  in  Von 
Uhde's  "Bethlehem,"  in  the  Dresden  gallery, 
we  gladly  acknowledge  the  ring  of  sincerity  that 
comes  from  every  brush-stroke  of  "Christ  in  the 
Peasant's  Hut"  (Fig.  118).  The  simple  people 
in  their  homely  surroundings  and  e very-day 
clothes  are  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  gentle 
Saviour  who  has  appeared  among  them.  There 
is  no  mock  humility  in  the  bowed  heads  of  the 
humble  family,  nor  idle  curiosity  in  the  lifted 
heads,  but  reverent  wonder  that  the  blessed  Lord 


FIG.  116.     The  Foundling.     Decamps.      Luxembourg.     Paris. 


FIG.  117.     Oxen  Ploughing.     Rosa  Bonheur.     Luxembourg,  Paris. 


FIG.  118.     Christ    in   the    Peasant's   Hut.      Von   Uhde.      Luxembourg,  Paris. 


FIG.  119.     The  Hemicycle.     Chavannes.     The  Sorbonne  (University  of  Paris),  Pari-. 


PARIS 

has  come  to  them.  Wherever  the  Christ  appears 
in  Von  Uhde's  pictures  the  scenes  are  of  to-day 
and  among  the  lowly.  As  a  painter,  Von  Uhde 
stands  unchallenged ;  his  colours  are  in  low,  grey 
tones,  his  light  is  good  and  his  whole  work  full 
of  integrity  and  unaffected  grace.  Next  to  Hof- 
mann,  his  religious  pictures  are  perhaps  as  well 
known  as  those  of  any  artist  of  modern  times. 

The  greatest  work  of  Puvis  de  Chavannes  is 
"The  Hemicycle,"  in  the  Sorbonne  (Fig.  119). 
It  would  scarcely  be  wise  to  omit  seeing  this 
fresco  in  the  Sorbonne,  even  if  one's  time  is  lim- 
ited. The  painting  decorates  the  wall  back  of  the 
stage  in  the  great  lecture  hall  of  the  University. 
The  fresco  is  an  allegory  of  Letters,  Sciences, 
and  Arts.  The  central  figure  is  the  presiding 
genius — possibly  the  spirit  of  Robert  de  Sorbon, 
the  founder  of  the  University — while  beside  her 
are  two  youths  with  laurel  crowns  and  palm 
branches.  From  below  the  throne  flows  the  pure 
stream  of  knowledge  from  which  all  drink,  both 
young  and  old.  Chavannes  long  contended  that 
in  mural  painting  there  should  be  perfect  harmony 
between  the  landscape  and  the  figures  and  that 
both  must  blend  with  the  architectural  setting. 
The  purity  of  his  pallid  colouring  and  the  severity 
of  arrangement  in  his  compositions  make  us  feel 
that  we  have  come  into  a  region  where  life  is  clean 
and  thoughts  are  pure.  He  fought  with  unruffled 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

calm  against  the  artificial  of  the  last  century, 
and  although  a  storm  of  criticism  was  hurled  at 
him  on  all  sides,  he  won  the  day  with  his  truth, 
sincerity,  and  simplicity.  Before  his  death  at  the 
opening  of  the  new  century,  all  France  gave  him 
honour  and  his  paintings  became  the  masterpieces 
of  French  art.  We  are  proud  to  have  one  of  his 
choice  frescos  in  the  Boston  Library. 


XXII 

LONDON— NATIONAL  GALLERY 

WE  will  not  stop  to  study  Raphael's  two  large 
Madonna  pictures  in  the  National  Gal- 
lery, having  already  seen  many  of  his  master- 
pieces, but  will  go  directly  to  Sebastiano  Piombo's 
"Raising  of  Lazarus"  (Fig.  120),  the  painting 
made  in  competition  with  Raphael's  "Trans- 
figuration" (Fig.  n).  As  we  look  at  the  risen 
Lazarus  we  recall  that  Michael  Angelo  was  cred- 
ited with  the  drawing  of  that  figure.  Piombo  was 
rather  weak  in  that  particular  branch  of  his  art, 
and  the  great  master,  having  fears  for  his  fa- 
vourite, himself  drew  in  the  principal  figure. 
Although  this  statement  is  sometimes  questioned, 
yet  the  muscular  development  of  Lazarus,  com- 
pared with  that  of  the  other  persons  in  the  picture, 
seems  proof  enough  that  a  greater  artist  than 
Piombo  designed  the  figure.  Scarcely  have  the 
words,  "Lazarus,  come  forth!"  been  spoken 
when  the  awakened  man,  bound  in  grave-clothes, 
rises  with  new  life  teeming  in  every  muscle,  every 
joint,  and  every  sinew;  asking  no  assistance, 
he  at  once  tears  the  clinging  cerements  from  his 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

limbs,  using  hands  and  feet  in  his  eagerness 
for  freedom.  Such  muscular  vigour  is  true  to 
Michael  Angelo's  figures  in  the  Sistine  Chapel 
and  may  well  stand  as  his  when  the  reputation 
of  his  beloved  Sebastiano  is  at  stake. 

Next  to  this  masterpiece  of  Piombo's  is  Vero- 
nese's "St.  Helena"  (Fig.  121).  There  is  here 
no  display  of  magnificent  brocades  heavy  with 
jewelled  trimmings,  so  common  in  Veronese's 
pictures,  but  rather  a  conspicuous  lack  of  bril- 
liant colour  and  sparkling  ornament,  as  though 
to  render  more  significant  the  quaint  old  legend 
of  the  Roman  queen.  History  and  tradition  are 
so  closely  interwoven  in  the  life  of  this  Christian 
woman  that  to  separate  them  is  practically  im- 
possible. Queen  Helena,  the  mother  of  Con- 
stantine  the  Great,  saw  in  a  vision  the  exact 
situation  of  the  true  cross  on  Golgotha  in  Jeru- 
salem. She  journeyed  to  the  Holy  City  and  on 
the  spot  indicated  in  her  dream  found  the  precious 
relic.  Veronese  has  chosen  the  moment  when 
sleep  has  overcome  the  queen  and  angels  appear 
with  the  cross.  The  graceful  naturalness  of  her 
pose  as  she  rests  her  head  on  her  hand,  and  the 
fleeting  glimpse  of  the  cross  as  it  drifts  across  the 
sky,  lift  this  scene  out  of  the  conventional  and  stamp 
it  as  the  product  of  an  original  thinker.  Words 
fail  to  describe  the  lambent  glory  that  the  sun- 
lit, reddish-yellow  gown  pours  over  the  vision. 


FIG.    120.     Raising      of      Lazarus.        Piombo. 
Gallery,  London. 


National 


FIG.  121.     St.  Helena.  Veronese.     National  Gallery, 
London. 


LONDON 

The  picture  itself  is  a  dream  of  loveliness  in  its 
quiet  elegance  and  lofty  sentiment. 

Near  Veronese's  "St.  Helena,"  is  Tintoretto's 
"Origin  of  the  Milky  Way,"  another  of  his  clas- 
sical subjects  treated  in  a  most  daring  manner. 
The  individuality  of  the  artist  was  never  more 
pronounced  than  in  the  headlong  flight  of  Jupiter 
bringing  the  infant,  perhaps  Vulcan  or  Mars,  to 
his  mother  Juno,  the  dainty-limbed  goddess 
thrown  across  the  canvas  in  defiance  of  all 
precedent,  the  milky  spray  starring  everything  in 
its  path,  and  the  bold  prominence  of  eagle  and 
peacocks  as  the  favourite  birds  of  the  immortal 
couple.  Although  this  picture  scarcely  equals 
those  perfect  compositions  in  the  Ducal  Palace, 
Venice  (see  Fig.  49),  yet  it  is  so  charged  with 
vitality  that  the  effect  is  overwhelming. 

We  need  but  turn  around  to  look  at  Moroni's 
"Tailor"  (Fig.  122),  a  portrait  so  lifelike  in 
attitude  and  appropriate  to  the  man's  calling 
that  it  stands  as  the  acme  of  portraiture.  That 
man,  whose  name  was  Tagliapanni,  may  have 
been  a  special  tailor  in  Italy,  but  his  portrait  rep- 
resents the  trade  in  any  country.  Moroni  knew 
how  to  paint  "men,"  and  while  he  shows  us  the 
costumes  and  temperaments  of  the  Italians  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  yet  we  have  here  the  genus  man 
developed  to  the  highest  in  a  special  calling, 
regardless  of  time  or  place. 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

As  we  study  his  "  Lawyer,"  and  note  the  fresh- 
ness of  colour,  the  alert  expression  on  the  man's 
face,  and  the  up-to-dateness  of  the  execution,  we 
might  think  it  just  fresh  from  the  artist's  studio. 
Such  portraiture  makes  all  the  world  akin,  for 
it  emphasises  that  quality  in  humanity  which 
distinguishes  man  from  the  beast. 

Another  portrait  in  the  National  Gallery  that 
stands  for  the  delineation  of  personal  charac- 
teristics is  Bellini's  "Doge  Leonardo  Loredino" 
(Fig.  123).  This  likeness  of  the  aristocratic  old 
face  is  so  true  that  the  Doge's  biography  might 
be  written  quite  easily  from  its  tell-tale  lines. 
One  does  not  need  to  be  told  that  this  is  the  man 
who  carried  the  Venetian  Republic  through  the 
most  trying  and  tumultuous  periods  of  its  exist- 
ence. Loredino  became  doge  in  1501.  Pope 
and  emperor,  France  and  Spain  combined  to 
destroy  his  power,  but  without  avail.  The  in- 
trepid old  warrior  stood  firm  though  the  republic 
was  irredeemably  impoverished  and  deprived  of 
all  its  Italian  possessions.  We  now  note  with 
deepened  interest  how  beautifully  clear-cut  is  each 
feature  of  the  fine  old  face,  the  deep-set  eyes,  the 
strong  nose,  the  firm,  sensitive  mouth,  the  stub- 
born chin — all  confirm  the  historical  record  and 
at  the  same  time  place  Giovanni  Bellini  among 
the  great  masters  of  portraiture. 

In  Velasquez'  two  portraits  of  Philip  IV.  of 


FIG.  122.     The  Tailor.    Moroni.    National  Gallery,  London. 


FIG.  123,     Doge  Ix)redano.     Bellini.    National  Gallery,  London. 


LONDON 

Spain,  he  shows  us  the  king  when  a  young  man 
and  again  when  about  fifty  years  old.  Velasquez 
painted  this  fitful  monarch  in  every  conceivable  pose 
and  costume,  possibly  thinking  to  vary  his  dull, 
uninteresting  countenance  by  external  changes, 
In  the  portrait  of  him  at  middle  life  he  is  dressed 
in  black  and  wears  the  stiff,  projecting  collar  which 
he  had  himself  invented.  It  is  related  that  Philip 
was  so  elated  over  the  new  collar,  the  product 
of  his  own  ingenuity,  that  he  gave  a  festival  and 
followed  it  by  a  procession  to  the  church  to  thank 
God  for  the  blessing.  Not  even  Velasquez  could 
give  animation  to  the  thin,  narrow  face  with  its 
lustreless  eyes,  heavy  projecting  Austrian  lip, 
and  pale  yellow  hair,  yet  he  did  make  the  mon- 
arch a  living,  breathing  personality. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  Rubens'  portraits  is 
"The  Chapeau  de  Faille"  (Fig.  124),  better 
known  as  the  "Straw  Hat,"  although  the  latter 
name  grew  out  of  a  mistake  in  spelling — the  hat 
is  really  felt.  It  is  possible  that  this  lady  was 
the  artist's  fiancee  at  one  time ;  be  that  as  it  may, 
she  certainly  was  some  one  whose  personal  charms 
attracted  him.  Rubens'  manner  of  contrasting 
the  black  hat  and  dress  with  the  brilliant  flesh 
tones  of  face  and  neck  is  one  of  his  most  tanta- 
lising methods  of  effecting  amazing  results. 
Was  any  artist  ever  more  skilful  in  putting  on 
canvas  the  essence  of  human  flesh?  It  throbs 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

and  glows  from  under  his  brush  as  though  the  life 
fluids  were  pulsing  through  its  capillaries. 

Madame  Lebrun  was  so  pleased  with  Rubens' 
"  Straw  Hat,"  that  she  painted  her  own  portrait 
in  the  same  pose  and  style  of  dress,  which  paint- 
ing is  also  in  the  National  Gallery.  We  are  dis- 
appointed in  it,  however,  for  the  natural  piquancy 
so  attractive  in  the  " Straw  Hat"  seems  forced 
and  unnatural  in  the  Madame  Lebrun  portrait. 
We  turn  back  in  relief  to  the  painting  of  herself 
and  little  daughter,  in  the  Louvre  (Fig.  100), 
knowing  that  in  that  portrait  group  she  has  done 
herself  justice. 

The  treasure  of  Dutch  landscapes  in  the  Na- 
tional Gallery  is  Hobbema's  "Avenue"  (Fig.  125). 
Here  is  a  prosaic  scene  from  nature  so  idealised 
by  the  magic  brush  of  the  master  that  one  never 
tires  of  looking  at  it.  Browning  was  right  when 
he  wrote: 

"We're  made  so  that  we  love 

First  when  we  see  them  painted,  things  we 

have  passed 
Perhaps  a  hundred  times  nor  cared  to  see." 

But  why  do  we  love  this  scene  now  that  it  is 
painted?  Is  it  not  the  broad  expanse  of  sky 
that  holds  us?  Ruskin  used  to  say,  "We  look 
too  little  at  the  clouds."  Surely  that  drifting, 
changing  mass  is 


FIG.  124.     Chapeau  de  Faille.    Rubens.    National 
Gallery,  London. 


LONDON 

14 the  daughter  of  the  earth  and  water 

And  the  nursling  of  the  sky ! ' ' 

as  it  floats  fleece-like  hither  and  thither.  The 
tall,  scraggly  trees  bordering  the  grey,  dusty  road 
lead  the  eye  past  the  distant  town  with  its  church- 
spire  a  silhouette  against  the  low  horizon,  into 
the  dusky  film  of  cloudland.  The  picture  sings 
to  us  of  peace  and  plenty,  of  church-bells  and 
heavenly  visions.  Is  that  bit  of  country  pro- 
saic now  that  Hobbema  has  opened  our  eyes 
to  its  beauty? 


XXIII 

LONDON— NATIONAL   GALLERY 

(Continued) 

"VJOT  always  are  the  pictures  of  the  founder 
•^  of  a  country's  art  interesting  to  the  general 
sightseer,  but  Hogarth's  are  an  exception.  Spring- 
ing into  existence  a  full-blown  painter,  as  it  were, 
he,  from  the  beginning,  pictured  the  English  people 
as  he  saw  them.  His  "Shrimp  Girl"  (Fig.  126) 
walked  the  streets  of  London,  and  her  voice  was 
heard  daily  calling  her  wares  for  sale.  He  has 
arrested  her  ceaseless  activity  and  with  an  un- 
erring brush  has  fixed  on  canvas  her  fleeting 
smile  and  passing  thought.'  This  street  vendor 
would  not  be  a  foreign  element  among  the  Lon- 
don criers  of  to-day,  although  it  is  two  hundred 
years  since  she  posed  for  her  portrait.  Hogarth 
discarded  the  rules  and  regulations  laid  down 
by  schools  of  art.  He  said:  "I  have  ever  found 
studying  from  nature  the  shortest  and  safest 
way  to  attaining  knowledge  in  my  art.  .  .  .," 
and  what  typical  studies  from  nature  he  made! 
Stop  a  moment  and  look  at  his  "Marriage  a  la 
Mode,-'  "Industry  and  Idleness,"  etc.  England 
was  at  that  time  overwhelmed  with  evil  and  vice. 
[160] 


FIG.  126.    The  Shrimp  Girl.    Hogarth.    National  Gallery,  London. 


FIG.  127.  Artist  and  Dog.   Hogarth.    National 
Gallery,  London. 


FIG.  128.     Canterbury  Pilgrims.     Stothard.     National  Gallery,  London. 


LONDON 

A  second  Cervantes  was  needed,  so  Hogarth 
stepped  into  the  breach  and  with  his  brush  and 
pencil  hurled  such  biting  ridicule  and  scathing 
sarcasm  at  church  and  state  that  England,  like 
Spain,  awakened  to  the  condition  of  her  morals. 
Soon  Hogarth's  pictures  became  simply  chron- 
icles of  evils  that  had  passed. 

One  look  at  the  "  Portrait  of  the  Artist  and  his 
Dog"  (Fig.  127)  is  sufficient  to  reveal  the  secret 
of  the  man's  power  to  quell  evil.  That  face  in- 
dexes the  artist's  good  humour  and  keen  sense 
of  the  absurdities  of  life,  also  his  ability  to  cut 
to  the  quick  with  caustic  sarcasm  where  ridicule 
failed.  Perhaps  his  pug-dog,  Trump,  reflects  a 
little  of  the  master's  stubborn  nature;  at  any  rate 
Hogarth  persisted  in  discovering  the  vital  points 
in  the  social  evil  and  then  deliberately  exposed 
them  with  a  realism  not  to  be  mistaken  in  meaning. 
But  he  did  not  always  use  a  probing  brush,  since 
his  "  Portraits  of  the  Servants  of  his  Household" 
show  how  lovingly  he  could  record  the  characters 
of  those  who  were  faithful  to  his  interests.  While 
Hogarth  was  a  reformer,  striking  to  the  very  core 
of  the  country's  weakness,  he  was  at  the  same  time 
an  artist  who  painted  pictures  that  will  live,  be- 
cause of  their  artistic  value. 

A  picture  especially  interesting  because  of  its 
literary  significance  is  Stothard's  "Canterbury 
Pilgrims"  (Fig.  128).  Chaucer's  "so  myrie  a 
[161] 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

compaignye"  of  twenty-nine  pilgrims  seem  well 
on  their  way  toward  Canterbury.  Possibly  the 
Knight,  the  Miller,  and  others  have  told  their 
tales,  and  maybe  the  Wife  of  Bath  is  now  telling 
her  tale,  at  least  she  holds  quite  a  prominent 
place  in  the  company.  We  feel  that  Stothard's 
pictorial  interpretation  of  the  poet's  graphic 
words  has  made  that  memorable  "pilgrymage" 
so  real  that  we  too  might  join 

" the  compaigne, 

Of  sondry  folk, 

That  toward  Canterbury  wolden  ryde." 

Reynolds'  "Angel  Heads"  (Fig.  129)  is  a 
picture  particularly  dear  to  children.  This  ar- 
tist was  especially  happy  as  a  painter  of  little 
girlhood — in  fact,  he  has  no  rival  in  depicting 
this  phase  of  the  child- world.  Although  Rey- 
nolds was  a  bachelor,  he  knew  just  the  deference 
he  must  pay  to  Miss  Six-years-old  in  order  to 
abide  in  her  good  graces.  When  once  the  dainty 
maiden  has  accepted  his  attentions  we  can  see  her 
shyly  drawing  close  to  the  great  artist  as  though 
dimly  conscious,  while  they  plan  the  "  sittings," 
that  some  unusual  honour  is  hers.  The  "Angel 
Heads"  are  different  poses  of  little  Miss  Gordon,  a 
girlie  very  dear  to  the  heart  of  the  childless  man. 

Reynolds'  tendency  to  tamper  with  his  pig- 
ments was  fatal  to  many  of  his  paintings.  This 


FIG.  129.     Angel  Heads.     Reynolds.     National  Gallery,  London. 


FIG.   130.     Mrs.     Siddons.       Gainsborough. 
National  Gallery,  London. 


FIG.  131. 


The  Hay- Wain.     Constable.    National 
Gallery,  London. 


LONDON 

was  notably  true  in  the  use  of  wax  with  his  colours 
to  give  them  greater  transparency.  It  is  said 
that  Gilbert  Stuart  in  great  agony  of  mind  found 
an  eye  moving  slowly  downward  on  a  Reynolds' 
head  he  was  copying.  Only  by  quickly  moving 
the  painting  into  a  cold  room  could  he  stop  the 
eye,  and  then  he  gradually  worked  the  dislodged 
member  back  to  place  again. 

When  English  portrait-painting  was  at  its 
height  in  the  eighteenth  century,  Mrs.  Siddons 
was  the  reigning  queen  on  the  stage.  George  IV. 
was  wont  to  say  of  her:  "She  is  the  only  real 
queen — all  others  are  counterfeits."  In  Gains- 
borough's "Portrait  of  Mrs.  Siddons"  (Fig.  130), 
we  find  her  portrayed  as  her  own  sweet  self. 
Many  critics  pronounce  this  portrait  the  artist's 
masterpiece.  Although  he  has  here  broken  every 
law  laid  down  by  his  rival,  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds, 
yet  technically  it  is  without  a  flaw. 

Gainsborough  was  very  susceptible  to  the  moods 
of  his  sitters  and  only  when  they  were  in  full  sym- 
pathy with  him  and  responded  to  his  enthusiasm 
could  he  do  them  justice  or  paint  his  best.  That 
he  worked  under  a  growing  excitement  in  making 
this  glorious  portrait  of  the  famous  woman  is 
plainly  evident.  The  incentive  of  rivalship  with 
the  great  Reynolds  and  the  high  privilege  of  paint- 
ing the  woman  honoured  by  king  and  public  were 
both  causes  for  intense  concentration.  Never  has 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

the  "Gainsborough  hat"  crowned  a  head  with 
more  distinguished  grace;  the  drooping  plumes 
and  clinging,  soft  plush  brim  still  further  enhance 
the  glory  of  the  fluffy  golden-yellow  hair.  It  is 
not  surprising  that  a  hundred  years  has  made 
little  change  in  a  head-covering  so  becoming  to 
womankind. 

As  we  sit  before  Constable's  "Hay- Wain" 
(Fig.  131),  we  are  conscious  at  once  that  the  artist 
has  gone  direct  to  nature  for  his  inspiration. 
The  "Hay- Wain,"  exhibited  in  Paris  in  1824, 
greatly  impressed  the  French  landscape-painters. 
They  recognised  in  Constable  the  elemental 
which  was  just  the  stimulus  they  needed  in  per- 
fecting the  Barbizon  school  of  1830.  Constable 
was  a  close  student  of  the  Dutch  landscapists, 
but  differed  from  those  artists  in  that  he  saw  in 
the  grass  and  midsummer  leaves  a  vivid  green 
unmixed  with  brown.  His  own  words  explain  the 
"home"  feeling  that  his  pictures  inspire.  "I 
have  always  succeeded  best  with  my  native  scenes. 
....  They  have  always  charmed  me,  and  I 
hope  they  always  will."  "The  Hay- Wain"  and 
the  "Valley  Farm,"  that  hang  side  by  side  in  the 
gallery,  transport  us  to  country  places  where  the 
little  streams  are  bordered  with  overhanging 
trees  and  the  tiny  cottages  creep  close  to  the  water's 
edge.  The  artist's  working-hours — from  ten  to  five 
— revealed  to  him  many  secrets  about  a  cloudy  sky 
[164] 


LONDON 

with  the  sun  ever  struggling  to  break  through 
the  mass  of  clouds.  The  sun's  rays  often  filter 
through  the  rifts  in  bright  patches,  giving  the 
effect  of  spottiness,  but  this  is  to  be  expected  for 
only  here  and  there  can  his  perpendicular  shafts 
penetrate  the  filmy  veil.  Constable  seemed  never 
to  forget  the  words  of  Benjamin  West,  spoken  to 
him  early  in  his  art  career:  " Always  remember, 
sir,  that  light  and  shadow  never  stand  still." 

Perhaps  the  most  petted  artist  in  England  was 
Edwin  Landseer,  and  surely  one  of  the  most  petted 
animals  he  ever  painted  is  seen  in  his  "Shoeing 
the  Bay  Mare"  (Fig.  132).  She  is  a  beautiful 
creature  with  animal  intelligence  far  beyond  that 
of  the  ordinary  horse.  The  glossy  red  coat  of 
this  favourite,  which  glistens  and  glows  in  the  red 
fire-light,  like  one  of  Dou's  copper  kettles,  evi- 
dences the  loving  care  she  receives.  The  criti- 
cism that  Landseer's  animals  are  too  human  is  well 
made  when  the  beasts  of  the  forests  are  his  sub- 
jects, but  when  he  chooses  the  pets  of  the  house- 
hold, be  they  horse,  dog,  or  cat,  the  human  element 
is  a  feature  not  to  be  ignored.  We  are  bound 
to  admit  that  animals  constantly  associated  with 
man  do  acquire  certain  tricks  of  memory  bor- 
dering on  human  intelligence,  and  it  is  this  glimmer 
of  immortality  that  Landseer  portrays  in  the 
faces  of  his  animals.  Unfortunately,  however, 
the  sentimentalism  of  the  times  bewitched  his. 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

brush  and  he  often  went  to  such  extremes  in 
humanising  his  animals  that  in  many  cases  the 
only  human  attribute  they  lack  is  speech. 

Landseer  began  his  art  career  when  not  more 
than  five  or  six  years  old.  His  father  later  in 
life  was  wont  to  point  with  pride  to  the  open  fields 
and  say:  "  Ed  win's  first  studio."  Fortune  smiled 
on  him  from  the  beginning  and  his  art  became 
the  talk  of  the  hour.  The  society-sick  people 
found  delight  in  the  freshness  and  naturalness 
of  his  genre  subjects;  they  gladly  gave  homage 
to  one  bringing  a  new  element,  since  the  monotony 
of  the  artificial  was  palling  on  them. 

We  now  enter  the  Turner  room,  but  find  our- 
selves dazed  and  incapable  of  comprehending 
the  meaning  of  the  paintings  surrounding  us. 
Somehow  the  light  dazzles  us  and  a  mist  seems  to 
envelop  the  paintings.  We  must  remember  that 
light  was  Turner's  foundation  principle  of  colour 
and  must  adjust  ourselves  to  his  interpretation 
of  light.  "The  Fighting  Temeraire"  (Fig.  133) 
has  been  the  most  universally  accepted  as  the 
artist's  masterpiece.  In  this  one  may  see  at  its 
height  the  peculiar  glory  produced  with  light  as 
colour.  Even  the  half-tone  reproductions  give  a 
faint  suggestion  of  the  power  of  light  in  the  pic- 
ture, but  do  not  approximate  the  glory  of  the 
original  painitng.  The  phantom-like  vision  of 
the  old  sea-warrior  intimates  what  she  was  at 
[166] 


FIG.  132.     Shoeing  the  Bay  Mare.    Landseer.    National  Gallery,  London. 


LONDON 

Trafalgar  when  she  led  the  van  and  won  the 
victory  for  Nelson.  The  setting  sun  illumines 
mast,  cross-beam,  and  hull  as  though  to  glorify 
the  last  journey  of  the  gallant  ship.  The  sputter- 
ing little  tug  is  towing  her  away  to  final  dissolu- 
tion. It  is  said  that  Turner  and  some  of  his  friends 
stood  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  watching  the 
departure  of  the  old  Temeraire  when  one  friend 
suggested  to  the  artist  that  he  make  the  scene  be- 
fore them  the  subject  of  a  picture.  Turner  made 
no  reply,  but  in  the  Academy  Exhibition  of  1839 
he  entered  this  painting,  to  the  surprise  and  de- 
light of  every  one. 

Strange  indeed  was  the  life  of  this  genius  of 
the  brush.  Disappointed  in  love  early  in  life, 
he  shunned  the  world  and  became  morose, 
miserly,  dirty,  and  altogether  unattractive.  His 
one  redeeming  virtue  was  his  unceasing  love  for 
his  father.  He  would  often  say  laughingly, 
"  Father  begins  and  finishes  my  pictures,"  because 
the  old  man  stretched  the  canvas  and  varnished 
the  finished  painting.  Turner's  proneness  to 
tamper  with  his  pigments  has  resulted  in  a  lack 
of  permanency  in  colour  that  is  evident  in  many 
faded  canvases.  To  understand  his  art  is  to 
understand  a  dreamer  with  a  vivid  imagination. 
He  represents  nature  in  magical  moods  and  in 
splendid  attire,  but  he  never  came  close  to  her 
heart  like  Constable. 

[167] 


XXIV 

LONDON—  NATIONAL  PORTRAIT,  TAIT, 

AND      GROSVENOR     HOUSE 

GALLERIES 


fT^HE  modern   room  in  the  National   Portrait 
Gallery  has  a   large   number  of    George 
Frederick  Watts'  portraits   of   England's  distin- 
guished men.     Tennyson's  lines  : 

"As  when  a  painter,  poring  on  a  face, 

Divinely,  through  all  hindrance,  finds  the  man 

Behind  it   .....     " 

might  have  been  written  with  Watts,  the  artist, 
in  mind.  He  seems  to  expose  the  very  soul  of 
the  sitter  with  his  probing  brush.  Only  men  of 
character  could  have  endured  such  searchings 
through  the  inner  workings  of  the  heart.  What 
wonderful  men  those  are  that  Watts  has  por- 
trayed for  us:  William  Ewart  Gladstone,  Robert 
Browning,  John  Stuart  Mill,  Thomas  Carlyle, 
Lord  Tennyson,  Lord  Lytton,  Cardinal  Man- 
ning, Cardinal  Newman,  and  a  score  of  others! 
Poet,  statesman,  and  churchman  live  again  in  his 
canvases.  We  linger  long  and  tenderly  before 
[168] 


FIG.  134.     Cardinal  Newman.    Watts.  National  Portrait  Gallery,  London 


FIG.  135.     Lady  Macbeth.    Sargent.     Tait  Gallery,  London. 


LONDON 

the  author  of  "Lead,  Kindly  Light."  When 
Watts  painted  that  "Portrait  of  Cardinal  New- 
man" (Fig.  134),  he  truly  saw  "the  very  pulse  of 
the  machine."  Who  could  not  read  in  the  deep 
lines  of  the  face  the  intense  longing  of  that  great 
soul  for  a  creed  that  would  satisfy?  The  sad, 
grey  eyes,  so  calm  in  their  steady  gaze,  tell  of  the 
peace  that  came  with  submission  to  the  Roman 
Church.  Such  portraiture  of  those  giants  of  the 
nineteenth  century  as  Watts  has  bequeathed  to 
England  and  to  the  world  gives  the  epitome  of 
some  of  the  best  men  that  England  has  pro- 
duced. 

It  was  not  alone  in  portraiture  that  Watts 
reigned  supreme.  His  pictures  in  the  Tait  Gal- 
lery seem  to  justify  the  statement  that  another 
Titian  has  arisen  in  Watts.  No  one  can  study 
that  collection  without  feeling  the  truth  of  his 
own  words:  "My  intention  has  been  not  so  much 
to  paint  pictures  that  will  charm  the  eye  as  to  sug- 
gest great  thoughts  that  will  appeal  to  the  imagi- 
nation and  the  heart,  and  kindle  all  that  is  best 
and  noblest  in  humanity." 

Before  giving  these  paintings  in  the  Tait  col- 
lection special  thought,  let  us  look  at  Sargent *s 
"Ellen  Terry  as  Lady  Macbeth"  (Fig.  135). 
Quite  unique  has  been  the  life  of  this  woman 
whose  artistic  career  has  never  been  surpassed. 
It  is  hard  to  realise  that  this  tragic  queen,  "who 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

bears  no  resemblance  to  anybody  else,"  was  once 
the  child- wife  of  the  great  English  painter,  George 
Frederick  Watts.  How  tenderly  that  pure,  noble- 
minded  man  retrieved  the  mistake  and  gave  back 
the  freedom  that  youth  desired!  Perhaps  this 
readjustment  in  the  lives  of  these  two  geniuses 
was  after  all  the  spur  that  urged  them  to  the 
achievement  of  great  things  in  their  respective 
arts.  Sargent  has  vividly  portrayed  Ellen 
Terry's  marvellous  impersonation  of  Lady  Mac- 
beth, showing  Shakespeare's  queen  as  a  real 
character,  yet  preserving  distinct  the  personality 
of  actress  and  painter.  It  is  a  rare  gift  when 
an  artist  can  picture  precisely  an  actor's  inter- 
pretation of  a  character  and  yet  preserve  his 
own  originality. 

In  Watts'  pictures  we  find  that  symbolism  is 
one  of  the  pronounced  features  of  the  painter's 
art,  but  he  used  it  so  simply  that  no  one  can 
mistake  his  meaning.  In  his  "Orpheus  and 
Eurydice"  (Fig.  136),  he  has  put  on  canvas  the 
picture  Pope  has  described  in  words: 

"But  soon,  too  soon  the  lover  turns  his  eyes; 
Again  she  falls,  again  she  dies,  she  dies!" 

The  sad  story  of  this  ill-fated  pair  always  awakens 
a  feeling  of  pity  in  our  hearts.  Poor  Orpheus, 
soon  after  his  marriage  to  Eurydice,  was  bereft 
of  his  lovely  bride  by  death.  He  sang  of  his 

[170] 


LONDON 

grief  to  all  the  gods  of  the  upper  world,  but  to 
no  avail.  He  then  descended  into  the  lower 
regions  and  accompanied  by  his  lyre  sang  these 
words:  "O  deities  of  the  under  world,  to  whom 
all  we  who  live  must  come,  hear  my  words,  they 
are  true."  His  plea  was  so  touching  and  his 
music  so  enchanting  that  even  Pluto  was  won  over 
and  Eurydice  was  called.  Orpheus  was  allowed 
to  take  her  away  on  one  condition — he  must 
not  turn  to  look  at  her  until  they  had  reached  the 
upper  air.  Alas,  why  could  not  this  gifted  son 
of  Apollo  have  curbed  his  impatience  and  waited 
until  the  portals  of  the  lower  world  were  passed? 
He  looked  back  at  his  bride  and  she  at  once  fell 
away  from  him.  The  most  ravishing  melodies 
from  his  lyre  could  not  induce  Pluto  to  release 
his  beloved  Eurydice  a  second  time. 

Watts  has  again  and  again  treated  the  themes 
of  life  and  death  and  love  so  powerfully  and 
artistically  that  they  have  assumed  both  a  wider 
and  a  deeper  significance  to  the  thoughtful.  One 
of  his  most  beautiful  compositions  is  "Hope," 
so  simple  in  composition,  yet  so  big  in  thought. 
That  single  figure,  resting  alone  on  a  deserted 
world  with  eyes  blindfolded  and  harp-strings 
all  broken  but  one,  is  nevertheless  a  harbinger 
of  brighter  things.  No  one  can  utterly  despair 
with  this  picture  as  a  daily  reminder  that  hope 
still  lingers  in  Pandora's  box. 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

It  is  quite  easy  to  gain  admission  to  Grosvenor 
House,  in  London,  so  we  must  see  Reynolds' 
"Mrs.  Siddons  as  the  Tragic  Muse"  (Fig.  137). 
At  the  first  sitting  Sir  Joshua  said  to  her:  "Ascend 
the  throne,  which  is  incontestably  yours,  and 
suggest  to  me  the  Muse  of  Tragedy."  She 
mounted  the  throne  and  took  the  attitude  as  we 
see  her  in  this  picture.  Of  this  painting  the 
artist  maintained  that  "the  colours  would  remain 
unfaded  as  long  as  the  canvas  would  keep  them 
together,"  and  so  far  the  statement  is  correct. 
It  was  at  Mrs.  Siddons'  own  suggestion  to  the 
artist  "that  he  would  not  heighten  that  tone  of 
complexion  so  accordant  with  the  chilly  and  con- 
centrated musing  of  pale  melancholy."  When 
she  went  for  the  last  sitting  she  found  the  artist's 
name  painted  as  embroidery  on  the  edge  of  her 
robe.  In  answer  to  her  look  of  inquiry,  Sir 
Joshua  graciously  replied:  "I  could  not  lose  this 
opportunity  to  hand  down  my  name  to  posterity 
on  the  hem  of  your  garment." 

In  this  same  Grosvenor  collection  is  Gainsbor- 
ough's "Blue  Boy"  (Fig.  138).  Again  the  artist 
has  used  those  blue  tones  so  prominent  in  the 
shimmery  blue  gown  of  "Mrs.  Siddons"  (Fig. 
130),  but  in  emphasised  masses.  This  is  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  dictum  of  Reynolds  that  "the 
masses  of  light  in  a  picture  ought  to  be  always 
of  a  warm,  mellow  colour — yellow,  red,  or  a  yel- 


FIG.  136.     Orpheus  and  Eurydice.     Watts.     Tait  Gallery,  London. 


Fio.  137.     Mrs.  Siddons.     Reynolds.     Grosvenor  House,  London. 


FIG.  138.     The  Blue  Boy.     Grosvenor  House,  London' 


LONDON 

lo wish- white;  and  the  blue,  the  grey,  or  the  green 
colours  should  be  kept  almost  entirely  out  of  these 
masses,  and  be  used  only  to  support  and  set  off 
these  warm  colours."  When  genius  meets  genius 
and  methods  clash,  yet  the  results  are  works  in- 
spired of  God,  the  bigness  of  such  great  minds 
compels  approval.  Reynolds  confessed  of  Gains- 
borough, "I  cannot  think  how  he  produces  his 
effects,"  and  the  younger  man  acknowledged  of 
his  rival,  "How  various  he  is."  Critical  yet 
magnanimous,  these  two  men  were  never  on  fami- 
liar terms;  but  strangely  enough,  when  the  un- 
timely end  came  to  Gainsborough's  life,  it  was 
Reynolds  who  stood  by  his  bedside  and  was  one 
of  his  pallbearers. 

The  hours  we  have  spent  together  looking  at 
the  masterpieces  of  painting  are  ended,  but  the 
glimpses  we  have  had  into  that  vast  world  of  pic- 
tures are  but  the  introduction  to  a  wider  vision 
in  the  universe  of  art.  Because  of  lack  of  time 
and  strength  we  have  been  forced  to  pay  no  heed 
to  hundreds  of  canvases  and  frescos  that  really 
deserved  our  attention.  My  chief  aim  has  been 
to  stimulate  an  interest  in  the  best  that  art  affords 
rather  than  to  describe  exhaustively,  and  if  I 
shall  be  the  humble  means  of  awakening  others 
to  higher  thoughts  in  the  realm  of  art,  my  great 
desire  will  be  attained. 


WHAT  PICTURES  TO  SEE 

In  succeeding  summers,  I  hope  to  take  my  silent 
yet  faithful  fellow  art-lovers  through  other  gal- 
eries  that  we  have  been  compelled  to  omit  on  this 
hurried  trip,  and  later  to  study  the  masterpieces 
of  that  beautiful  sister  to  painting — sculpture. 


INDEX 

ALBERTINELLI,  MARIOTTO, 

The  Visitation  or  Salutation.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence, 

29 
ANGELICO,  FRA, 

Madonna  of  the  Star.    San  Marco,  Florence,  53 

Christ  and  Disciples.    San  Marco,  54 

Coronation  of  the  Virgin.    Louvre,  Paris,  128 
ANGELO,  MICHAEL, 

Creation  of  Adam.    Sistine  Chapel,  Rome,  8 

Creation  of  Eve.    Sistine  Chapel,  Rome,  9 

Cumaean  Sibyl.    Sistine  Chapel,  Rome,  10 

Jeremiah.   Sistine  Chapel,    Rome,  n 

Christ.    Detail  from  Last  Judgment.    Sistine  Chapel, 
Rome,  13 

Last  Judgment.    Sistine  Chapel,  Rome,  13 

The  Fates.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  44 
BARTOLOMMEO,  FRA, 

Savonarola.    San  Marco,  Florence,  54 
BELLINI,  GIOVANNI, 

Madonna  and  Child.    Academy,  Venice,  63 

Doge  Leonardo  Loredano.    National  Gallery,  London, 

156 
BONHEUR,  ROSA, 

Oxen  Ploughing.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  149 
BOTTICELLI,  SANDRO, 

The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence, 

34 

Birth  of  Venus.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence,  34 

Judith   and  Maid  with  Head  of  Holofernes.    Uffizi 

Gallery,  Florence,  35 
Calumny.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence,  35 
Spring.    Academy,  Florence,  48 

[175] 


INDEX 

BRETON,  JULES  ADOLPH, 

The  Gleaner.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  148 
CARPACCIO,  VITTORE, 

St.  Ursula  and  her  Father.    Academy,  Venice,  66 
CHARDIN,  JEAN  BAPTISTE  SIMEON, 

The  Blessing.    Louvre,  Paris,  143 
CHAVANNES,  Puvis  DE, 

The  Hemicycle.    The  Sorbonne,  Paris,  119. 

ClMA  DA  CONEGLIANO,  GlOV.  BATTISTA, 

St.  John  the  Baptist  and  other  Saints.    Madonna  del' 
Orto,  Venice,  70 

CONSTABLE,  JOHN, 

The  Hay- Wain.    National  Gallery,  London,  164 
The  Valley  Farm.    National  Gallery,  London,  164 

COROT,  JEAN  BAPTISTE  CAMILLE, 

Dance  of  the  Nymphs.    Louvre,  Paris,  129 

CORREGGIO  (ANTONIO  ALLEGRI), 

Holy  Night.    Dresden  Gallery,  86 

Madonna  of  St.  Francis.    Dresden  Gallery,  87 

Marriage  of  St.  Catherine.    Louvre,  Paris,  125 

DAVID,  JACQUES  Louis, 

Madame  Recamier.    Louvre,  Pans,  130 

DECAMPS,  A.  G., 

The  Foundling.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  149 

DETAILLE,  JEAN  BAPTISTE  EDOUARD, 
The  Dream.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  148 

DOMENICHINO, 

The  Last  Communion  of  St.  Jerome.  Vatican,  Rome,  21 

Dou,  GERARD, 

The  Night  School.    Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  114 
The  Dropsical  Woman.    Louvre,  Paris,  139 

DURER,  ALBRECHT, 

The  Apostles.    Old  Pinakothek,  Munich,  81 
The  Horseman.     Nuremburg.     Frontispiece 
Christ  on  the  Cross.    Dresden  Gallery,  97 

[176] 


INDEX 

FLINK,  GOVAERT, 

Portrait  of  a  Young  Girl.    Louvre,  Paris,  142 
FORLI,  MELOZZO  DA, 

Playing  Angel.    Sacristy  of  St.  Peter's,  Rome,  23 
GAINSBOROUGH,  THOMAS, 

Mrs.  Siddons.    National  Gallery,  London,  163 

The  Blue  Boy.    Grosvenor  House,  London,  172 
GERARD,  BARON  FRANCOIS  PASCAL, 

Madame  Recamier.    Louvre,  Paris,  131 
GHIRLANDAJO,  RIDOLFO, 

The  Salutation   (Visitation).     Santa  Maria  Novella, 
Florence,  56 

The  Old  Man  and  Boy.    Louvre,  Paris,  133 
GIORGIONE  (GIORGIO  BARBARELLI), 

The  Knight  of  Malta.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence,  57 

The  Concert.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  45 
GIOTTO  DI  BORDONE, 

Portrait  of  Dante.    Bargello,  Florence,  58 
GOZZOLI,  BENOZZO, 

Angels  (Detail).    De'  Medici  Chapel,  Ricardi  Palace, 

Florence,  55 
HALS,  FRANZ, 

Hille  Bobbe.    Berlin  Gallery,  102 

The  Jester.    Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  113 
HELST,  BARTHOLOMEUS  VAN  DER, 

The  Civic  Guards.    Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  112 
HOBBEMA,  MEINDERT, 

The  Avenue.    National  Gallery,  London,  158 

HOFMANN,   J.  M. 

Christ  before  the  Doctors.     Dresden  Gallery,  97 
HOGARTH,  WILLIAM, 

The  Shrimp  Girl.    National  Gallery,  London,  160 
Marriage  a  la  Mode.    National  Gallery,  London,  160 
Portrait  of  Artist  and  Dog,  Trump.    National  Gallery, 

London,  161 
Portrait  of  Servants.    National  Gallery,  London,  161 

[177] 


INDEX 

HOLBEIN,  HANS, 

The  Meyer  Madonna.    Dresden  Gallery,  89 

INGRES,  JEAN  AUGUSTE  DOMINIQUE, 

Le  Source.    Louvre,  Paris,  121 
LANDSEER,  SIR  EDWIN  HENRY, 

Shoeing  the  Bay  Mare.    National  Gallery,  London,  165 
LEBRUN,  MARIE  ELIZABETH  LOUISE  VICE'S, 

Portrait  of  the  Artist  and  Daughter.    Louvre,  Paris,  131 

Portrait   of   Artist   (Straw   Hat).     National   Gallery, 

London,  158 
LENBACH,  FRANZ, 

Portrait  of  Bismarck.    Lenbach's  House,  Munich,  84 
LIOTARD,  J.  E., 

The  Chocolate  Girl.    Dresden  Gallery,  91 
LIPPI,  ERA  FILIPPO, 

The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin.   Academy,  Florence,  51 
LOTTO,  LORENZO, 

The  Three  Ages  of  Man.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  45 
MANTEGNA,  ANDREA, 

Mt.  Parnassus.    Louvre,  Paris,  134 
MEMMI,  SIMONE  (and  other  artists), 

Religion    and    Philosophy.      Santa    Maria    Novella, 
Florence,  57 

METSU,  GABRIEL, 

The  Family  of  Gelfing.    Berlin  Gallery,  103 
MIERIS,  FRANZ  VAN, 

Soap  Bubbles.    The  Hague,  Holland,  118 
MORETTO,  IL  (ALESSANDRO  BUONVICINO), 

Supper  in  the  House  of  Simon.    Academy,  Venice,  64 
MORONI,  GIOVANNI  BATTISTA, 

The  Tailor.    National  Gallery,  London,  155 

The  Lawyer.    National  Gallery,  London,  156 
MOSLER,  HENRY, 

The  Prodigal's  Return.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  147 


INDEX 

MURILLO,  BARTOLOME"  ESTE"BAN, 

The  Melon  Eaters.    Old  Pinakothek,  Munich,  79 
Sfc  Anthony  and  the  Christ  Child.    Berlin  Gallery,  100 
The  Immaculate  Conception.    Louvre,  Paris,  127 

NETSCHER,  KASEER, 

Song  Accompanied  by  Piano.    Dresden  Gallery,  96 

OSTADE,  ADRIAN  VAN, 

The  Fish  Market.    Louvre,  Paris,  141 

PALMA  (IL  VECCHIO),  JOCOPO, 

St.  Barbara.    Santa  Maria  Formosa,  Venice,  67 

PERUGINO,  PIETRO, 

Christ  Giving  the  Keys  to  St.  Peter.    Sistine  Chapel, 

Rome,  15 

The  Resurrection.    Vatican,  Rome,  21 
The  Assumption  of  the  Virgin.    Academy,  Florence,  51 

PINTORICCHIO,  BERNARDINO, 

The  Madonna  and  Child.    Vatican,  Rome,  17 
Boy.    Dresden  Gallery,  95 

PIOMBO,  SEBASTIANO  DEL,  , 

Raising  of  Lazarus.    National  Gallery,  London,  153 

POTTER,  PAUL, 

The  Young  Bull.    The  Hague,  Holland,  116 

RAPHAEL  SANZIO, 

Feed  My  Sheep.    Vatican,  Rome,  17 
Mt.  Parnassus.    Vatican,  Rome,  18 
Creation  of  Eve.    Vatican,  Rome,  19 
The  Transfiguration.    Vatican,  Rome,  19 
Madonna  of  Foligno.    Vatican,  Rome,  20 
Fornarina.    Barberina  Palace,  Rome,  25 
The  Sibyls.    S.  Maria  della  Pace,  Rome,  27 
Galatea.    Farnesina  Villa,  Rome,  28 
Portrait  of  Julius  II.    Uffizi  Galkry,  Florence.    36 
Madonna  of  the  Goldfinch.   Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence,  37 
Madonna  of  the  Chair.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  40 
Madonna  of  the  Grand  Duke.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence, 
42 

[179] 


INDEX 

RAPHAEL  SANZIO,  (Continued) 

Portrait  of  Julius  II.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  42 
Portrait  of  Leo  X.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  43 
Marriage  of  the  Virgin.    Brera  Gallery,  Milan,  75 
The  Sistine  Madonna.    Dresden  Gallery,  85 
Madonna  of  the  Garden.    Louvre,  Paris,  123 
Holy  Family  of  St.  Francis.    Louvre,  Paris,  124 
St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon.    Louvre,  Paris,  125 

REMBRANDT  VAN  RYN, 

Portrait  of  Artist  and  Wife,  Saskia.   Dresden  Gallery,  94 
The  Night  Watch.    Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  109 
The  Cloth  Merchants.    Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  1 1 1 
The  School  of  Anatomy.   The  Hague,  Holland,  115 
The  Supper  at  Emmaus.    Louvre,  Paris,  138 

RENT,  GUIDO, 

Aurora.    Rospigliosi  Palace,  Rome,  23 

St.  Michael  and  the  Dragon.    S.  Maria  dei  Cappuccini, 

Rome,   24 
Beatrice  Cenci.    Barberini  Palace,  Rome,  25 

REYNOLDS,  Sis  JOSHUA, 

Angel  Heads.    National  Gallery,  London,  162 
Tragic    Muse    (Mrs.    Siddons).      Grosvenor   House, 
London,  172 

RIBERA,  Josic  DI, 

St.  Agnes.    Dresden  Gallery,  92 

ROMANO,  GIULIO, 

The  Dance  of  the  Muses.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  43 

RUBENS,  PETER  PAUL, 

The  Battle  of  the  Amazons.    Old  Pinakothek,  Munich, 

8? 
Christ  Child,  St.  John  and  Angels.    Berlin  Gallery,  102 

Descent  from  the  Cross.     Antwerp  Cathedral,  119 
Life  of  Maria  de'  Medici.    Louvre,  Paris,  133 
Helen  Fourment  and  Children.    Louvre,  Paris,  144 
The  Straw  Hat.    National  Gallery,  London,  157 
[180] 


INDEX 

SARGENT,  John  S., 

Carmencita.     Luxembourg,  Paris,  147 

Lady  Macbeth  (Ellen  Terry).    Tait  Gallery,  London, 

169 
SARTO,  ANDREA  DEL, 

Madonna   of   the   Harpies    (detail).     Ufnzi   Gallery, 

Florence,  31 

The  Holy  Family.    Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  46 
The  Last  Supper.    San  Salvi,  Florence,  58 
SCHEFFER,  ARY, 

St.    Augustine    and   his   Mother,    Monica.      Louvre, 

Paris,  126 
SODOMA,  IL, 

St.  Sebastian.     Ufnzi  Gallery,  Florence,  32 
STEEN,  JAN, 

Christmas.    Ryks  Museum,  Amsterdam,  113. 
STOTHARD,  THOMAS, 

The  Canterbury  Pilgrims.    National  Gallery,  London, 

161 
TENIERS,  DAVID, 

Village  Fete.    Dresden  Gallery,  96 
TER  BORCH,  GERARD, 

The  Despatch.   The  Hague,  Holland,  1 1 7 

Officer  Offering  Money  to  Young  Woman.     Louvre, 

Paris,  141 
TINTORETTO  IL  (Jocopo  ROBUSTI), 

Christ  and  the  Adulteress.    Academy,  Venice,  63 
Minerva  Driving  Away  Mars.    Doges'  Palace,  Venice, 

68 
Marriage  of  Bacchus  and  Ariadne.     Doges'  Palace, 

Venice,  69 

Miracle  of  St.  Mark.    Old  Library,  Venice,  69 
Finding  the  Body  of  St.  Mark.    Brera  Gallery,  Milan, 

77 
Origin  of  the  Milky  Way.   National  Gallery,  London, 

155 

[181] 


INDEX 

TITIAN  (TIZIANO  VECELLI), 

Flora.    Uffizi  Gallery,  Florence,  38 

Magdalene.     Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  39 

La  Bella.     Pitti  Gallery,  Florence,  40 

Assumption.     Academy,  Venice,  60 

Presentation  in  the  Temple.    Academy,  Venice,  61 

The  Madonna  of  the   Pesaro    Family.     The  Frari, 

Venice,  71 

Tribute  Money.    Dresden  Gallery,  88 
Portrait  of  the  Artist.    Berlin  Gallery,  105 
Lavinia,  Titian's  Daughter.     Berlin  Gallery,  106 
Entombment.    Louvre,  Paris,  122 
Man  with  a  Glove.    Louvre,  Paris,  123 

TROYON,  CONSTANT, 

Cattle  Going  to  Work.     Louvre,  Paris,  130 

TURNER,  JOSEPH  MALLORD  WILLIAM, 

The  Fighting  Temeraire.    National  Gallery,  London, 

166 
VAN  DYCK,  SIR  ANTHONY, 

Charles  I.  and  His  Horse.    Louvre,  Paris,  136 

VELASQUEZ,  DIEGO  RODRIGUEZ  DE  SILVA  Y, 

Portrait  of  the  Artist.    Old  Pinakothek,  Munich,  80 
Portrait  of  Allesandro  Borro.    Berlin  Gallery,  101 
Portrait  of  L'Infanta  Marguerite.     Louvre,  Paris,  139 
Portrait  Philip  IV.   (full  length).     National  Gallery, 

London,  156 
Portrait  Philip  IV.  (half  length).     National  Gallery, 

London,  156 

VERONESE,  PAOLO, 

Supper  in  the  House  of  Simon.    Academy,  Venice,  62 
Adoration  of  the  Magi.    Dresden  Gallery,  91 
The  Madonna  of  the  Cuccina  Family.    Dresden  Gal- 
lery, 92 

Marriage  at  Cana.    Louvre,  Paris,  126 
Christ  in  the  House  of  Simon.    Louvre,  Paris,  126 
St.  Helena.    National  Gallery,  Londor^  154 

[182] 


INDEX 

VERROCHIO,  ANDREA  DEL, 

The  Baptism.    Academy,  Florence,  50 

VINCI,  LEONARDO  DA, 

The  Last  Supper.    Santa  Maria  delle  Grazia,  Milan,  73 
Head  of  Christ.    Brera  Gallery,  Milan,  75 
Mona  Lisa.    Louvre,  Paris,  122 

VIVARINI, 

Madonna  and  Child.    Berlin  Gallery,  104 

VOLTERRA,  DANIELE  DA, 

Descent  from  the  Cross.    S.  Trinita  de'  Monte,  Rome, 

26 
UHDE,  FRITZ  VON, 

Bethlehem.    Dresden  Gallery,  98 

Christ  in  the  Peasant's  Hut.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  150 
WATTS,  GEORGE  FREDERICK, 

Cardinal  Newman.    National  Portrait  Gallery,  Lon- 
don, 169 

Orpheus  and  Eurydice.    Tait  Gallery,  London,  170 

Hope.    Tait  Gallery,  London,  171 
WERFF,  ADRIAN  VAN  DER, 

Reading  Magdalene.    Dresden  Gallery,  94 
WEYDEN,  ROGER  VAN  DER, 

Magi  Worshiping  the  Star.    Berlin  Gallery,  107 

Naming  the  Little  St.  John.    Berlin  Gallery,  107 
WHISTLER,  JAMES  MCNEIL, 

My  Mother.    Luxembourg,  Paris,  146 


PICTURES  AND  THEIR  PAINTERS 

BY 

LORINDA  MUNSON  BRYANT 

8vo.     Cloth.    $3.30  net.     Postage  a^c. 

A  Popular  History  of  the  Great  Pictures  of  the  World  and  their  Painters. 

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